£16m for decarbonisation work in Bradford
It will be used to link buildings up to the new Bradford Energy Network
BRADFORD has been awarded almost £16 million in funding to make the city’s buildings, including a police station, courts and City Hall, greener.
Much of the £15.8m allocated to the District by the Government will be to link buildings to the new Bradford Energy Network that is currently being installed beneath the city’s streets.
The network will use air source heat pumps to transfer heat from a new energy plant being built on Thornton Road to numerous buildings.
Bradford Council has been awarded £2,009,254 to support the decarbonisation of City Hall, this will cover 88 per cent of the costs of linking City Hall to the network. The remaining 12 per cent will be funded by the Council using Clean Air Zone funding.
Other Bradford organisations have also received grants to connect buildings to the Heat Network are Bradford College who have been awarded £2,656,876. HM Courts and Tribunals Service – which runs the city’s Magistrates and Crown Courts has been awarded £3,568,440.
And University of Bradford has been awarded £6,496,170.
Outside of the District Heat Network, West Yorkshire Police has been awarded £992,321 to decarbonise Eccleshill Police Station by replacing the building’s existing gas-fired boilers with ground source heat pumps and adding installing new solar panels and LED lighting.
Referring to the Heat Network investment, a Bradford Council spokesman said: “When completed in Summer 2027, the Bradford District Heat Network will offer one of the most cost-effective solutions to decarbonise premises and will generate heat using one of the largest air source heat pump systems for heat networks in the UK connecting to the new energy supply to several sites in the city centre.”
Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “Bradford infrastructure and regeneration projects are of national significance delivering a more investable and more sustainable district as well as Bradford being the UK City of Culture in 2025.
“The heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency grants will allow us and other organisations in Bradford to contribute to start the process of decarbonisation and contribute to the Districts net zero targets.”
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, portfolio holder for healthy people and places said: “Finding the right schemes to support and invest in is vital. We’re not just looking at making current infrastructure more sustainable, we’re keen to look at renewable energy sources too. These not only benefit the environment and potentially reduces costs for customers in the longer term, but also improves energy security nationally.”