Why it matters: The investment will establish a district heat network using water-source heat pump technology to provide 35 GWh of low-carbon heat annually to public, commercial and community buildings, with first connections planned for 2028.
The details: The funding comes from the Green Heat Network Fund, part of a £68 million national package announced on Thursday, 4 December. The system will extract heat from the River Gipping through insulated pipes that deliver hot water to multiple buildings, eliminating the need for individual boilers in each property.
The project is expected to supply low-carbon heating to a diverse range of buildings across the town, including council buildings, hotels, religious buildings, offices, colleges and theatres.
The heat network is set to support over 50 local jobs. Suffolk County Council has been leading the project since 2021.
What they're saying: Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich, said the Green Heat Network Fund will "help us cut carbon emissions, reduce energy costs for local organisations and create high-quality, skilled jobs right here in our town."
"By tapping into the renewable heat which we can produce from the River Gipping, we're putting Ipswich at the forefront of the clean-energy transition and building a modern, resilient heat network that will serve our community for decades to come," he added.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for devolution, local government reorganisation and NSIPs called it "a significant project for Ipswich".
"By harnessing naturally occurring heat from the River Gipping, there is the potential to provide over 35 GWh of heat each year to public buildings across Ipswich – enough to power around 40 buildings in the first phase, ranging from offices to community buildings," he added.
Martin McCluskey, minister for energy consumers, said: "By harnessing waste heat from rivers, sewers and data centres, these innovative projects can play a key role in our mission to reach clean power by 2030. Heat networks provide low-carbon, low-cost heating systems of the future, boosting growth and supporting businesses and building owners for years to come, helping drive down their bills."
For context: A heat network is a system of insulated pipes that delivers hot water or steam from a central low-carbon source to multiple buildings. The technology is widely used across Europe and is seen as a key part of the UK's transition to net zero.
The Green Heat Network Fund supports the creation of low-carbon heating systems across England, with more than £500 million already allocated nationally to projects designed to reduce carbon emissions.
What's next: The council will continue to work with local colleges and the University of Suffolk to support the development of green skills locally, offering vocational and academic training and qualifications in the district heating sector.
According to the council, the project can deliver affordable energy for businesses, protection from volatile energy markets, jobs and growth for the local economy and place Ipswich as one of the country's forward-thinking towns when it comes to ensuring local energy security.
The bottom line: The £9.8 million investment will establish a renewable heating system for Ipswich that aims to reduce carbon emissions, lower energy costs for local organisations, create skilled employment opportunities, and provide energy security for the town.
