Community / Study will investigate prospect of Brae district heating system
A FEASIBILITY study is set to take place to explore whether a district heating network could work in Brae.
Shetland Heating Energy & Power (SHEAP) director Derek Leask confirmed the company – which operates the Lerwick district heating system – has no plans to run a network in Brae.
However, he said SHEAP would be happy to pass on any advice.
Shetland Islands Council is currently tendering for the work as part of a UK Government-funded project which will also see the Brae Youth Centre revamped.
The council’s climate change strategy team lead Claire Ferguson highlighted the feasibility study and concept design contract is part of the rural energy hub project, funded by government agency Innovate UK.
A total of £5 million of funding is being put towards decarbonisation efforts in Shetland and Orkney, with the Brae Youth Centre the focus locally.
Ferguson said the feasibility study “hopes to explore opportunities for district heating in rural communities to decarbonise heating and reduce fuel poverty”.
“As well as the technical feasibility, the study will review impacts of current regulation, potential business models and scenarios for achieving economic sustainability, which can be challenging in rural locations,” she added.
The contract going out to tender is worth £110,000 excluding VAT.
Lerwick’s district heating scheme – which has been up and running for more than 20 years – uses heat generated from burning rubbish, which would otherwise go to landfill, in the town’s energy recovery plant to provide hot water to homes and businesses in the area.
Around 4.5 million bin bags are converted to energy every year, with the hot water supplied to more than 1,200 customers in Lerwick.
This brings cost benefits for customers, with district heating comparing favourably to other energy forms.
SHEAP – which generated income of around £3 million in 2023/24 – is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shetland Charitable Trust.
Profits are usually given to the charitable trust but in 2023/24 no payment was gifted to the organisation.
At its core district, or community, heating sees heat generated from a central location and delivered to buildings in the local area.
SHEAP’s Leask previously said Brae could be a good location for a district heating network, especially as a new school could be on the horizon.
He had suggested the heat could come from turbines, sea heat pumps or thermal stores, and that the local community council could, in theory, be one organisation which could set up a company to develop the network.
Speaking this week, Leask said SHEAP has already provided some help to the SIC in setting up the potential Brae study.
“Scottish Government energy policy is to promote the growth and development of heat networks across the entire country in order to relieve pressure on the electricity grid,” he added.
“This is so that renewable electricity can be directed to transportation and industry where it is needed most.
“Heat networks can then provide heating and hot water to properties without using valuable grid electricity.
“On this basis we’re fully supportive of all efforts to create additional heat networks in Scotland and will provide any support or assistance requested as the study progresses.
“The study is at a very early stage and SHEAP has no plans to own or operate a heat network in Brae.
“However should the project develop we would definitely offer all our experience and support to help any scheme be successful.”
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