Utility E.ON has revealed ambitious plans to more than double the size of its district heating network in Sheffield in a multi-million-pound investment that will extend the existing 8km pipeline by 10km around the Don Valley area. This expansion aims to connect new customers and explore additional sources of low-carbon heating, tapping energy that might otherwise go to waste.
The existing district heating scheme in the Lower Don Valley is powered by E.ON’s Blackburn Meadows renewable energy plant, which uses biomass to heat connected buildings. The proposed expansion will build on this foundation, extending the current 8km pipe network to serve more Lower Don Valley businesses and homes. The plan aims to deliver increased low-carbon, cost-effective heating to Sheffield and aligns with the city’s zero-carbon goal for 2050.
Chris Lovatt, chief operating officer for E.ON’s Energy Infrastructure Solutions business, said: “Whether it’s combating the climate crisis, cleaning the air in city streets, or weaning the UK off fossil fuels to avoid the impact of volatile global gas markets, we need to find new, cleaner ways of heating our homes and businesses. Heat networks like ours in the Lower Don Valley allow us to do that.
“We are the playmakers in creating a more sustainable UK through projects like this, and with Sheffield’s bold steps to become a zero-carbon city by 2050, we’re looking to expand the route of our district heat network to play a role in that ambition.”
Decarbonising urban heating
This multi-million-pound E.ON investment is part of a broader trend of urban heating decarbonisation in the UK. District heating networks, such as E.ON’s recently-announced ectogrid low-carbon heat network in east London, are seen as essential for reducing carbon emissions and more effective than individual boilers as the network centralises heat production in a more efficient, cost-effective way.
District heating networks currently supply 3% of the UK’s heat demand, although projections suggest this could rise to 20% by 2050.
Meaningful operational change
Lovatt was also enthusiastic about the project’s role in enhancing the local community: “As part of our ongoing investment in the city, we’ll be looking to create more than 2,000 green jobs in the region as well as improving public spaces—leaving every space we touch better than when we found it.”
Should E.ON’s planning application be approved, construction on the expanded network could begin by late 2025 and continue through 2028 and would represent a significant step towards achieving Sheffield’s and the UK’s net-zero targets, driving meaningful operational change for the UK’s heat networks.
Lovatt concluded: “If the extension to our network is approved, we’ll be working with local residents, businesses, and community groups to deliver initiatives that improve the city: improved pathways and cycle paths, planting trees and shrubs, as well as creating warm spaces and educational workshops.”
