Heat Pump Sector Deal Expert Advisory Group: Scottish Government response

Recommendation 1

The Scottish Government to provide clarification on the relationship between targets in the Heat in Buildings Strategy and the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act.

Scottish Government Response

The Heat in Buildings Strategy^[2] outlines our ambitions to rapidly scale up deployment of zero emissions heating systems and identifies individual heat pumps and heat networks as two primary technologies which will be key to achieving our climate change ambitions over the next decade.

The Heat Networks (Scotland) Act^[3] (referred to below as the 2021 Act) sets statutory targets for the supply of thermal energy through heat networks. This includes a target to generate a total combined output of 6 TWh of heat delivered through heat networks by 2030.

The Heat Networks Delivery Plan^[4] provided information on indicative scenarios to achieve the 2030 target of the 2021 Act. This, alongside the statutory duty for local authorities to produce Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies by the end of 2023, will provide further clarity on the scale of heat network deployment.

The scale of heat network growth beyond the 2030 target of the 2021 Act, will depend on a number of factors, including location and viability relative to other zero emission solutions. Whilst it is not possible at this stage to provide absolute certainty to the industry as to the relative numbers of small and large heat pumps, or other heat sources required to deliver our Heat in Buildings strategy, we will continue working with industry to provide visibility of opportunities as the market develops.