The Swedish multinational energy company, Vattenfall, has been selected by Midlothian Council as its energy partner in a 50/50 joint venture set to drive the shift towards low carbon living in the region.

The partnership’s first project will be the installation of an innovative district heating network which will provide heat to new homes at the Shawfair development with a carbon saving of 75% when compared with conventional gas boiler heating

The low-temperature system, expected to be operational in 2021, will bring fourth-generation heat network technology to Scotland - building on Vattenfall’s experience in constructing and operating some of Europe’s fastest-growing heat networks in cities such as Amsterdam.

The heat feeding the network will be sourced from waste heat produced by FCC’s Millerhill waste and recycling plant and will be fed through a network of pipes to local homes. The partnership will also begin actively exploring the potential of thermal storage and other local heat sources to enable the network to grow and expand across Midlothian and beyond.

This first GBP 20 million (US$25.78 million) project will benefit from the financial support of up to GBP 7.3 million (USD 9.4 million) from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transformation Project, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The scheme will also benefit from a close working relationship on the project with Scottish Futures Trust.