Sheffield Heat and Power
District heat in Sheffield
After an intensive five-year market research programme, Sheffield Heat and Power Limited was
formed in February 1988 to build and operate an efficient and cost effective city-wide combined
heat and power/district heating scheme in Sheffield. Three portions of the system are now
operational:
- Phase one
- 9 km pipeline
- Completed in April 1988
- Serves mainly residential properties
- 28 MW connected heat load
- Phase two
- 7.6 km pipeline
- Completed in November 1991
- Supplies heat to many public and commercial developments within the City Centre.
- 35 MW connected heat load
- Phase three
- 12.2 km pipeline
- Completed in May 1994
- Add consumers in the north and west portion of the City, including the University of Sheffield campuses and Weston Park Hospital.
- 43 MW connected heat load
- Total system
- 28.8 km pipeline
- Capital investment to date - more than £13.5 million
- Turnover - more than £2.7 million
- Total connected capacity - 106 MW
Although commonplace in Europe, Sheffield's use of "green heat" is the most successful and
fastest growing scheme in the UK.
Where does the heat come from?
Most of the heat provided to the initial system is produced by the Bernard Road Incinerator
Plant, which has an annual capacity of 150,000 tons of refuse. Heat from the incinerators
produces steam, which is converted into hot water and pumped through a network of
underground pipes.
For every 100,000 MWh of useful energy delivered, 145,000 MWh of fossil fuel energy is displaced,
with CO2 savings of 34,000 tonnes/year.
Four additional boiler plants are always ready to provide stand-by and peaking heat whenever
necessary. These plants are located at:
- Bernard Road
- Norfolk Road
- Park Hill
- Newcastle Street
As demand for heat continues to grow, additional heat will be provided from a number of
combined heat and power (cogeneration) stations, along with added stand-by and peaking
facilities.
How is the heat distributed?
Heat from the various plants is distributed to buildings in Sheffield by means of hot water
pumped through an underground piping network. Each building is connected to two pre-insulated pipes, one to supply hot water at a maximum temperature of 120C, and a second to
deliver the cooler return water back to the plants, where it is once again heated. A heat
exchanger in each building transfers the heat to the existing heating system.
Hot water has been used to heat cities for over 600 years, and is used today in thousands of
communities throughout Europe and North America, including:
For more information
Sheffield Heat and Power Ltd.
E-mail: shp@swan.fdgroup.co.UK
2 Sheffield Science Park
Howard Street
Sheffield, S1 2LX
Tel: +44 114 272 4278
Fax: +44 114 272 0685
Last updated 7 October 1996
Maintained by Morris A. Pierce