The route to harnessing heat: why we need a district heating network plan

With a £1bn pledge for community green energy schemes, the government has called for the delivery of clean energy to power the country’s future economy.

But if we want community energy to reach as many people as possible, we need to think bigger, and smarter, about one of the most overlooked opportunities in the transition: waste heat from data centres. Barriers to Connection

Operating data centres generates heat, much of which is simply lost. Capturing and redistributing this heat through district networks could cut bills, lower carbon and deliver genuine local benefits. The technology needed has already been deployed at scale across Scandinavia and Northern Europe, so we know that isn’t the barrier. Instead, it’s lack of funding and coordination, particularly for local authorities who recognise the huge opportunity but don’t have the resources to install the pipe infrastructure needed. Without a national plan for district heat networks, we’ll keep missing this opportunity. With the right infrastructure, data centres could become real community assets. It will take collaboration between energy providers, government and local authorities to make it happen and put the UK at the forefront of innovative data centre development. Data Centre Opportunity

At KSP, we’re always considering the ways to use forward-thinking technology in our developments – including at Charlton Gateway, our proposals for a 182MW data centre in south east London. The UK’s data centre pipeline is growing rapidly, and it’s time to start seriously thinking about the ways to ensure these developments provide widespread community benefits – a joined-up national strategy is a good place to start.