Birmingham Launches Eco-Friendly Heating System

11.33.35pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 2nd Aug 2007

Councillor Paul Tilsley is welcoming a new city centre heating scheme to help combat climate change and reduce Birmingham's carbon footprint.

Work began yesterday (1 August) on laying the first hot water pipes for an innovative new city centre Combined Heat and Power (CHP) scheme which will cut carbon emissions by recycling waste energy normally released into the environment. The Broad Street City Centre Energy Network, an initiative led by Birmingham City Council, will use a CHP system to provide heat, electricity and air conditioning to major buildings in the Broad Street area.

The £2 million CHP project is a nationally recognised way of substantially reducing CO2 emissions, and provides a key element of the council's plans to reduce carbon emissions from key city centre buildings by 20% over the next four years.

Councillor Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "This scheme provides yet more evidence of our determination to place Birmingham at the cutting edge of efforts to combat climate change and reduce the city's carbon footprint."

"I am delighted at the speed with which this project is progressing and believe that other cities will be looking to follow our example."

The Broad Street City Centre Energy Network will provide hot water for heating and electricity and cold water for air conditioning to many of Birmingham's most prominent buildings, including the ICC, NIA, Council House, Town Hall, the Birmingham Rep and the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The scheme should be operational by the end of October.

The insulated pipes for the scheme will be laid about one metre deep from the 'Rep', around Centenary Square and then down Broad Street to Paradise Circus. At the junction of Broad Street and Paradise Circus Queensway the pipes will enter an existing tunnel which will take the hot water on to Paradise Circus, the Town Hall and the Council House.