Bouygues E&S set to deliver zero-carbon heating in Swaffham Prior

Our team have started work installing an innovative renewable heat network for Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) to serve the village of Swaffham Prior. The aim of the project is to deliver a system where 100% of the thermal energy demand of the village is met by renewable energy.

Swaffham Prior is a historic, rural village based in Cambridgeshire. The village is not connected to the gas grid and 70% of homes burn oil for heating and hot water production, the rest are mainly on electric for heat. This means residents rely on stored fuel to provide heating and hot water in their homes. Not only is stored fuel carbon intensive, it makes the village vulnerable to shortages and inflated oil prices. The heat network will replace the existing storage infrastructure and in doing so will overwhelmingly reduce the village’s carbon emissions, eliminate environmental hazards and protect residents from the associated risks of stored fuel.

There are four key deliverables for the Swaffham Prior Heat Network project:

• An energy centre: for the generation of renewable heat, connecting to an extensive ground-loop borehole array and consisting of two ground source heat pumps and one air source heat pump
• A heat network: a series of buried pipes to distribute thermal energy through the village
• Heat interface units (HIUs): connecting residences to the heat network
• A private electricity network: to power the energy centre with renewable electricity

CCC has committed to reaching Net Zero carbon by 2050 and is dedicated to preserving the local environment and reducing the impacts of climate change. Simulation models suggest the heat network will deliver 95% emissions reduction in year one, rising to 96% by 2030 and 99% by 2050.

The scheme will generate a long-term revenue for the council through the sale of heat to residents, subsidy revenues and carbon trade. It will be no more costly to residents than fuel oil, and eliminate the hazards associated with stored fuel.

David Carr, CEO of Bouygues E&S Solutions said, “We are delighted to partner with Cambridgeshire County Council to deliver this innovative, renewable heat network and help the Authority to reach its target of becoming Net Zero by 2050.”