Community / Feasibility study could explore idea of district heating in Scalloway
DISCUSSIONS have been held about the idea of a district heating scheme in Scalloway, with hopes that a feasibility study could start later this year.
The idea is being led by Scalloway Community Development Community (SCDC), while UHI Shetland, which operates the college in the village, is also involved in discussions.
SCDC said a key hope around a district heating scheme is that it could help to reduce people’s bills while also allowing the community’s larger energy users to reduce their carbon footprint.
The only district heating system in Shetland at the moment is in Lerwick, which uses waste heat from the town’s incinerator.
This heats water which is then piped around the town to around 1,300 customers, from homes to schools and the Gilbert Bain Hospital.
A feasibility study is also taking place regarding the concept of a district heating system in Brae, as part of a government-funded Rural Energy Hub project which is based around the North Mainland village’s youth centre.
At its core, district heating – or heat networks – uses a central heat source to distribute hot water to multiple properties in the local area.
This avoids the need for individual boilers or electric heaters in buildings, and is regarded as a cost-effective way of reducing carbon emissions.
There are also said to be cost benefits; Shetland Heat Energy & Power, which runs the Lerwick system, says its customers are saving between £300,000 and £1 million depending on the price of oil – with the network playing an “important part in reducing fuel poverty”.
With UHI Shetland looking to move to a single campus set-up in Scalloway in the years ahead, the college is involved in discussions around a district heating system in the village as it looks to reduce its emissions.
A new Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy went in front of SIC councillors for the first time on Monday.
Within this is a reference to the plan to explore the feasibility of a scheme in Scalloway, with a study potentially getting underway this year.
When asked by Shetland News for more details, SCDC said it recognises some people and households in the community are struggling with energy costs and are seeking ways to help alleviate the problem.
SCDC said in a statement that a district heating system could be “one way of doing this as well as helping the major energy users in the community to reduce their carbon footprint and move to net zero”.
“SCDC is in the process of applying for funding to undertake a feasibility study into a district heating scheme for Scalloway and is preparing a brief to go out to consultants to do the necessary work,” it added.
The development company, which has also explored potential improvements to the village’s waterfront, said the study will look at:
- Options for sources of heat and costs
- Demand for heat now and in the future
- Proposals for a district hearing network
- An outline business case
It added it will also explore appropriate delivery and management models and environmental impacts.
SCDC added: “The study will involve significant consultation with the local community and stakeholders at key points in the process as it is vital to get clear support for the scheme in order to ensure its success, if it appears to be feasible.
“It is hoped the study should be able to proceed in the latter half of this year, if funding applications are successful.”
Meanwhile a UHI Shetland spokesperson said: “With a significant presence in Scalloway we actively look to work with our community neighbours and to this end we have been in discussions with the Scalloway Community Development Company.
“A Scalloway district heating scheme would help us with our environmental responsibilities, and work towards achieving our net zero ambitions with a move away from our current oil-based heating system.”
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