Heat network projects: quarterly report - December 2023

Introduction

This document produced by the Energy and Climate Change Directorate in the Scottish Government summarises the projects supported by Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) and the Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU).

Launched in February 2022, Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) makes £300 million available over this parliamentary session. The Fund offers capital support to enable the rollout of new zero emission heat networks and communal heating systems, as well as the expansion and decarbonisation of existing heat networks across Scotland.

The Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU) supports the growth of heat networks by addressing key challenges in the pre-capital stages of heat network development and building capacity across the public sector to deliver successful projects. The HNSU is sponsored by the Scottish Government (SG), with Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) and Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) as core partners that provide a range of support services via the HNSU. The HNSU have recently enhanced its offering to local authorities through the Strategic Heat Network Support.

This report also refers to the now closed Heat in Buildings Development Funding Invitation. This made £1 million of resource funding available to stimulate and accelerate the development of a pipeline of zero emission heat projects for buildings across Scotland. This funding invitation was the forerunner to the Heat Network Support Unit.

The Scottish Government has also provided substantial capital support to heat networks currently under construction through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP). The LCITP is now closed to new applications, but we continue to report on the progress of funded projects. This document refers to LCITP funded heat network projects, a full list of all LCITP funded projects can be found here: Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The document includes a series of one-page summaries for each of the capital and pre-capital projects supported by the Scottish Government through the SHNF and HNSU.

Further details on both programmes can be found here:

• Scotland’s Heat Network Fund: Heat Network Fund: application guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
• Heat Network Support Unit: Home - Heat Network Support Unit

For questions relating to the projects summarised in this document or fund enquiries, please direct these to HeatNetworkFund@gov.scot or HeatNetworkSupport@gov.scot.