Anyone walking along the banks of the Clyde at this time of year would find it virtually impossible to believe that it could be a sustainable source of heat. Most people probably think that the greatest danger from falling into the water during a Scottish winter is the risk of a fatal battering from chunks of ice.
But appearances can, and do, deceive. The river on which Glasgow built its history and its industry is about to serve the city’s population once again, this time as a source of renewable heat energy. Under an ambitious development plan, the new Queen’s Quay regeneration project in Clydebank will see the installation of 5MW of water source heat pumps. These will extract warmth from the river (yes, it does exist) and convert it to energy to supply the £250 million complex.
This energy project, costing £15 million to implement, will heat homes, businesses and some public buildings, including Clydebank Town Hall along with the library, leisure centre and West College Scotland.
At its centre is a dedicated energy centre connected to 2.5 kilometres of district heating pipe networking the properties. Work on building this is now well underway and initial connections to some of the buildings within the plan are set to go live later this year.
The technology works by extracting heat from the water in a similar way to the technique used by a refrigerator to cool its contents. It has existed since the 1940s, works well in the UK climate and can provide heating during the winter, even at temperatures of minus 20 degrees.
The district heating network project, on the site of the former John Brown Shipyard, is being delivered by Vital Energi, a sustainable energy company based in Blackburn, Lancashire. According to Scott Lutton, its Operations Manager, it is by far the largest project of its type to date in the UK.
Regeneration plans for John Brown shipyard
“We expect we will be connecting buildings to the energy centre over the next five to 10 years,” he adds. “It is going to be iconic and visually attractive, with illumination and even a promenade walkway. This is a very exciting moment in the history of Scotland’s energy infrastructure. Water source heat pumps are a low-carbon technology which will become more effective in reducing emissions as the grid decarbonises.
“We hope that, when complete, it will prove an inspiration to other local authorities wanting to reduce their carbon emissions.”
The Queens Quay site is owned by Clydeside Regeneration Limited (CRL) with West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) providing infrastructure funding. Dawn Developments Ltd is responsible for development management on behalf of CRL.
West Dunbartonshire Council is equally enthusiastic about the initiative. Councillor Iain McLaren, its Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, says: “The district heating network will have a hugely positive impact on Queens Quay and Clydebank as a whole.”
The new Queen’s Quay regeneration project in Clydebank, will soon be hooked up to the River Clyde by 2.5 kilometres of district heating pipe acting as a natural source of energy
Another heat pump energy development could also help to cement Glasgow’s reputation as a pioneer when it comes to the roll-out of heat pump energy projects.
The scheme, in the Gorbals, would again draw energy from the Clyde and heat to connected buildings, delivering significant carbon reduction and making a further contribution to climate change goals. It is, however, currently on hold because of delays in public funding.
River-based heat pump schemes have to combine a number of different disciplines alongside engineering, such as ecology, the natural environment and, in the case of Glasgow’s main waterway, a unique and historic heritage.
“The Clyde is hugely symbolic and significant to Glasgow,” says Philip Macdonald of Oberlanders Architects, which has an interest in the technology in the city. “There’s a definite desire to make sure we do the right thing.”
But the river is only one potential source of renewable heat for the city’s population. Equally promising – if perhaps even more unlikely – is its network of underground mineshafts and tunnels, long abandoned and now filled with huge amounts of water.
Glasgow City Council is working with the British Geological Survey in looking at the possibilities of employing heat pump technology here too. It would help the city to meet government targets ensuring that 11 per cent of heat demand comes from renewable sources by 2020.
Modelling work has been carried out and in theory, it is possible that nearly half of the local demand for heat could be catered for in this way.
This would confirm the area as a European leader in green energy innovation as well as major contribution to a low carbon environment.
Glasgow’s proud industrial heritage of coal and river may now be firmly in the past. But it’s wonderfully fitting that it is being imaginatively reinvented to serve it – and the planet - well into the future.
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