A new communal heat network, valued at £72.7 million, aims to deliver low-carbon heating solutions to the National Theatre and other prominent landmarks in the Waterloo and South Bank areas of central London.

As part of this initiative, a water source heat pump will extract warmth from the River Thames and distribute it via a series of underground pipes throughout the vicinity. This system offers buildings a means to transition to low-carbon heating while maintaining their exterior aesthetics.

The project, led by developer Hemiko, is designed to operate locally, which will help lower energy bills and reduce dependency on imported energy and supply chains.

To help launch the initiative, the government has granted £15.6 million.

Adopting this comprehensive approach is viewed as a more cost-effective and efficient method of decarbonizing heating when compared to installing individual pumps.

Hemiko reports that the network could potentially decrease nitrogen oxide emissions from buildings by 72% over time.

While it remains undecided which buildings will tap into the heat network, organizations such as the National Theatre, King’s College London, BFI Southbank, and the Southbank Centre are currently considering participation, according to Hemiko.

Toby Heysham, the company’s CEO, remarked, “Few things exemplify ‘London’ as much as the River Thames, so the idea that Thames water might soon provide heat for some of the capital’s landmark structures is a truly delightful and quintessentially London narrative.

“Our approach focuses on creating heat networks in densely populated areas, where the demand for connections to local waste heat is the highest.”

The developer plans to commence by constructing the essential infrastructure, which will consist of the river-source heat pump, underground piping, and the initial connection to a cluster of buildings.

Subsequently, the network will be expanded to accommodate more buildings, including both newly constructed and existing residences, the firm indicated.

This announcement coincided with the regulation of an industry that had previously been unregulated, bringing heat networks under Ofgem’s purview to safeguard customers against unjust energy price increases.

The government aspires to double the proportion of heat demand satisfied by heat networks within the next ten years.