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First homes connected to £15.5m steam-powered heat network

Rowenna HoskinBBC Wales
News imageCardiff Council A large, modern building with a distinctive wave-like roof design, combining metallic and green-tinted panels. The structure appears industrial or possibly a sports or event venue, with a sleek, contemporary style. In the foreground, a metal walkway with railings extends toward the building, creating strong leading lines. To the right of the walkway, a tall, white structural tower rises vertically, adding to the industrial aesthetic. The surrounding area includes a road, landscaped greenery, and several parked vehicles near the entrance. The sky above is clear with scattered clouds, bathed in warm sunlight, giving the scene a bright and crisp appearance.Cardiff Council
A pipe bridge transports captured heat from Viridor's Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility to a new energy centre, from where it is pumped around Cardiff Bay

New flats in Cardiff are the first residential buildings in the city to get heat and hot water from a new steam-powered green heating system.

The network, which cost £15.5m, captures heat from steam already produced as a by-product of the process that powers electricity-generating turbines at Viridor's Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility.

This is then transported through a network of highly insulated pipes to buildings across Cardiff Bay, where it provides a sustainable source of heat and hot water.

Now, Scott Harbour flats, which were converted from an office block into 78 council-owned apartments providing social housing in the city, have been connected to this system.

Cardiff council's cabinet member for climate change Dan De'Ath, said: "The moment a building connects, it eliminates the need for gas boilers and delivers an 80% cut in carbon emissions.

"It's a complicated project to deliver, but an incredibly simple idea at heart - capturing heat that already exists but is currently wasted and transporting it to where it can be used instead of burning fossil fuels."

The heat network took four years to build and is expected to save 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

News imageCardiff Council the exterior of a modern building with a curved black canopy featuring large gold letters spelling “SCOTT HARBOUR.” The building façade is composed of tall glass windows framed by black vertical beams and accented with gold horizontal bands, creating a sleek and contemporary design. The structure rises several stories high, with a mix of glass and beige stone elements. Above the canopy, the windows reflect a partly cloudy sky, adding depth to the scene. A single bird is visible in the sky near the top of the building, and the overall lighting suggests a bright day with natural sunlight.Cardiff Council
Scott Harbour is the first residential building to receive heat from the network

Cardiff and Vale College recently became the first building to receive heat from the network.

Over coming weeks, other buildings in Cardiff Bay, including Wales Millennium Centre, Butetown Hub, Nelson House, Tresillian House, Ty Hywel and the Senedd will also be connected.

Although the initial heat source is Viridor's Energy Recovery Facility, the network is designed to be "heat source neutral".

This means that, in future, it could potentially be connected to alternative or additional heat sources such as the groundwater or deep geothermal heat that exists beneath Cardiff's streets.

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