Council and university heat network may cost £121m

A multimillion-pound heat network could link up council and university buildings in Cambridge in a bid to reduce emissions.

City council papers stated that plans have been worked on with experts since 2023, which have proposed a network using air source and river source heat pumps supported by a transition to electric boilers from gas ones.

The council has signed a non-legally binding agreement with academic institutions, and hopes it can achieve a 93% carbon emissions reduction over the 40-year lifetime of the project.

The network - which would be led by the council - could cost £121m to build.

The agenda for the council's cabinet meeting next Tuesday shows the joint venture would mean the "council shares construction, delivery and reputational risk with established academic partners".

It said it would save the authority £1m in capital costs, rather than trying to decarbonise the historic Guildhall and Corn Exchange, as well as Parkside swimming pool and Kelsey Kerridge sports centre.

A memorandum of agreement in council documents said Cambridge University, 16 of its colleges and Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) were considering connection to the network.

Council officers have recommended that a final decision on whether the project should go ahead should take place by March 2028.

Labour councillor Rosy Moore, the cabinet member for climate and environment, said: "This project has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality for everyone in the city, and can be expanded across the city over time to increase these benefits significantly."

James Rolfe, ARU chief operating officer, said it had invested £2.4m in renewable energy and carbon reduction projects since 2019, "demonstrating our commitment to becoming a zero carbon institution by 2045".

"This proposed heat network could offer a cost effective way to further decarbonise the heating of our buildings on East Road in Cambridge."

A Cambridge University spokesperson said: "As an institution committed to improving our own environmental performance, and recognising our role as a key civic partner, the university looks forward to the continued exploration of the proposals in collaboration with the council and other strategic partners.

"We remain excited to see what opportunities the heat network might provide for the city of Cambridge."

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