Green Heat Network Fund: £288 million grant opens to decarbonise heating in homes and offices
Schemes that deliver clean heat to households and non-domestic buildings can soon apply for new government funding aimed at boosting the roll out of heat network projects.
The Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) is a 3-year £288 million capital grant fund that will support the commercialisation and construction of new low and zero carbon heat networks (including the supply of cooling), as well as the retrofitting and expansion of existing heat networks.
Heat networks (also known as district heating) supply heat from a central source to consumers, via a network of underground pipes carrying hot water. They can cover a large area or supply a small cluster of buildings, avoiding the need for individual gas boilers or electric heaters in every building.
Heat networks are one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing carbon emissions from heating, as they can use a variety of low carbon heat sources including waste heat from industry, geothermal sources and solar thermal arrays. The Committee on Climate Change has estimated that around 18% of UK heat will need to come from heat networks by 2050 if the UK is to meet its carbon targets cost effectively.
The government estimates the GHNF will deliver emissions savings equivalent to taking 5.6 million cars off the road for a year.
Key dates
Applications for the first round of the GHNF can be made from 14th March 2022 until 27th May 2022.
This will be followed by quarterly rounds (11 in total) until the scheme closes in 2025.
More information on the GHNF is on the government website.
