Plans for an energy centre in Liverpool with renewable technologies to help provide low carbon heat and hot water to residents and businesses have been approved by Liverpool City Council.

The Peel NRE facility between Great Howard Street and Sherwood Street is expected to save around 4,200 tonnes of carbon per year, this will be achieved through the primary use of water source heat pumps and thermal stores to provide heat to Peel NRE’s Mersey Heat district heat network. 

It includes plans for two 3MW water source heat pumps which would work on an ‘open loop’ system to take heat from water abstracted from the Leeds/Liverpool canal before pumping it back into the dock system.  

Two thermal stores capable of holding 260 cubic metres of hot water will also be installed alongside heat only gas boilers with a combined capacity of up to 40MW as a backup, and for use during times of peak demand. 

The energy centre will provide heat for up to 9,000 homes and 4 million sq ft of commercial space at Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters development, it will also connect to other key developments in the area.  The project is part funded by the Merseyside Pension Fund.

Jonathan Burley, Commercial Director at Peel NRE said: “This new facility will use renewable technologies as the main energy source to generate heat for the Mersey Heat network and connect homes and offices to low carbon heat and hot water. 

“We’re pleased to receive planning permission for the energy centre to help meet national and regional climate emergency targets and we will explore options to decarbonise the network further as and when new technology develops.”

District heat specialist, Vital Energi is installing the Mersey Heat network on behalf of Peel NRE. 

Vital Energi’s Managing Director for North & Scotland, Mike Cooke said: “The Mersey Heat Network is a major part of Liverpool’s developing low-carbon infrastructure and Peel NRE receiving planning permission for this new facility is fantastic news. The energy centre will be instrumental, not only to the network’s immediate success connecting new developments, but also to its continued expansion. The project has been future proofed with the capability to connect to existing city centre buildings, so that it can meet the long-term decarbonisation goals of Liverpool.”

Construction is expected to start on site this summer.