GOVERNMENT has awarded £20 million to a project to provide green energy to buildings in Bradford city centre.

Bradford Energy Limited is one of several organisations to benefit from the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund, a pot of cash to help develop low carbon or environmentally friendly heating systems.

As previously reported in the Telegraph & Argus, the Bradford scheme would see one of the biggest low to zero carbon heating schemes laid under the streets of the city centre.

The £40 million project would see a new energy centre built in Bradford, using air source heat pumps and underground heating to heat various buildings in the city centre.

It would mean these building would be able to massively reduce their carbon footprint, as well as avoid the volatility of the international gas markets.

Work to lay some of the piping has already began, and a planning application for the heat centre has recently been submitted to Bradford Council.

It would see the facility built on a vacant area of land at the junction of Thornton Road and Listerhills Road.

The Bradford heat network is being privately funded, and today it was announced that it would be getting a huge boost from the Government.

In total, seven schemes will share £91m in Government funding following today’s announcement.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “The UK is a world leader when it comes to reducing carbon emissions – but we must continue to push the boundaries to reach our net zero goal.

“These innovative projects will not only benefit the communities they serve, by reducing emissions and providing low-cost heating that helps to drive down energy bills, but also support the nation’s push for greater energy security and independence.

“They form part of our energy revolution – creating hundreds of new jobs for our ever-expanding green economy.”

Kirklees Council has also benefitted from today’s announcement – awarded £8.2 million towards the Huddersfield District Energy Network. That scheme will provide low-carbon heat and electricity to public and private sector buildings in and around the centre of the town.

Rotherham Energy Limited has been awarded £25 million to build a new Rotherham Energy Network to deliver a heating and hot water to 34 homes and businesses in the town centre.

And East Riding of Yorkshire Council has been awarded £12 million to create the new Goole District Energy Network, that will use waste heat from a manufacturing plant to power local homes and businesses.