Hemiko appointed to fund and deliver new phase of Leeds PIPES heat network
The next phase of the Leeds PIPES heat network is set to service up to 8,000 more residents, following approval of Hemiko as delivery and funding partner.
Leeds PIPES claimed savings of 7,000 tonnes of carbon in 2025, providing heat to 4,100 residential properties and 30 public and commercial buildings, with heat recovered from the city’s domestic waste plant. The move helps Leeds City Council’s journey to become the UK’s first net zero city, it noted,
The new heat network will be delivered in a different way to Leeds PIPES, with the council not making the financial investment and Hemiko financing, owning, developing, operating and maintaining the network. The council will still have influence over aspects such as customer standards and pricing as well as the growth rate of the network, it said.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, the council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said:
Leeds is taking significant steps in response to the climate emergency declared by the council in 2019, and we are working hard towards becoming the UK’s first net zero city. Part of this ambition is making homes easier and more affordable to heat, for example by helping residents, and businesses, move away from costly fossil-fuel powered heating systems, which also helps combat fuel poverty and reduce cold-related illness. Investment in alternative and local heat sources in the context of the current soaring energy prices will help make Leeds a more resilient and self-sustaining city.
Hemiko is expected to submit detailed proposals to the council in early 2027, with construction starting soon afterwards, if approved. Toby Heysham, CEO of Hemiko said:
This project is about capturing locally generated waste heat and providing access to that heat for local buildings. This is creating a cleaner, cheaper and more resilient way to heat the South Bank. With an initial investment of around £30 million, Hemiko will be delivering the infrastructure that enables this clean and affordable heat to be provided…Projects like this set the standard for what can be achieved when infrastructure, local ambition and strong partnerships come together with a shared purpose.”
