Barking and Dagenham is set to benefit from a £1.5 million carbon friendly heating system.
Once installed, the Becontree Heat Network will offer hot water and heating to 170 new homes being built on the estate, along with the Becontree Leisure Centre and Coventry University’s London campus, based in Dagenham’s old Civic Centre.
The new heating system is designed to cut carbon emissions by using the excess heat that is generated in the production of electricity and is to be one of the beneficiaries of the Government’s Heat Network Investment Programme (HNIP).
The Heat Network Investment Programme has so far handed almost £25 million worth of funding over to pilot projects, with 5,000 domestic customers and 50 non-domestic buildings already benefitting from the initiative. The aim is for HNIP to be supporting in the region of 200 projects by 2021.
The Becontree scheme has so far laid around two kilometres of pipes, which are expected to last for at least 50 years, and it is designed so that local schools can be connected to the network in the future.
Barking and Dagenham Council’s cabinet member for finance, performance and core services, Dominic Twomey, said of the new heating system: “The network is a great example of how we are delivering on our ambition to become the green capital of London. This is about investing in the future of Barking and Dagenham and providing energy for generations to come.
“Our residents deserve cost-effective, cleaner alternatives, and by reducing emissions the Becontree Heat Network is going to do just that. I am proud to be a part of this innovative project as we continue to build more homes and welcome business into the borough.”
