Arcadis has been appointed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to help identify key areas for district heating development, maximizing value for money for the UK taxpayer.

The project covers 28 towns and cities including Bristol, Birmingham, Greater Manchester, and Nottingham.

Currently only 2% of heating requirements are met through district heating in the UK. A report by BEIS published in September last year identified that the UK could target up to 20% of heating through district heating networks by 2050.

Moving to 10%+ district heating for the UK will be a real challenge given the country’s existing housing stock and historic preference for individual in-home heating. Ultimately, the project will support the energy transition through more efficient use of heating and the potential reuse of waste heat from other sources, such as data centres.

Peter Hogg, UK cities director, Arcadis said: “We’re proud to be involved with a project that will improve quality of life through supporting a new element of the UK’s energy transition, creating efficient local heat networks that make use of renewable energy and recycle what would otherwise be waste heat. Supporting energy transition is central to our strategy, making a real difference in our fight against climate change. We are bringing the best of Arcadis globally to support the UK in its carbon reduction ambitions.”