Highlights
- Heat pump-based system offers 88 percent lower emissions than gas boiler alternative
- Low carbon network will serve more than 6,000 homes as well as leisure, cultural and community facilities and workplaces at the Silvertown development in east London
E.ON and Australian real estate developer Lendlease have signed an agreement to build a pioneering low-carbon energy network for more than 6,000 new homes and business properties at Silvertown in east London.
The 760,000 m² Silvertown site will be the UK's first development of E.ON's pioneering ectogrid system, an energy sharing heat network based on heat pump technology that, once complete, will save approximately 4,000 tonnes of CO2 a year - 88 percent lower emissions than from traditional gas boilers.
The core principle of ectogrid is to provide heating and cooling by first using existing energy sources available locally, such as air, water or ground. Each connected building sends excess heating or cooling to other buildings as needed, and by sharing, balancing, and storing energy in rotation, ectogrid uses all available energy before adding any new' energy, drastically reducing consumption, costs and environmental impact.
Silvertown will be transformed into a vibrant new heart for the Royal Docks and a new visitor destination for London. Plans include the construction of around 6,500 homes alongside new generation workplaces, stores, restaurants, bars and a water sports center, as well as the restoration of the iconic Millennium Mills. The regeneration of the area will provide significant opportunities for the local community and create more than 6,000 new jobs.
Marc Spieker, COO Customer Solutions at E.ON emphasized: "Around half of the energy in Europe is used for heating and cooling, mainly from non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels. This is precisely why we offer our customers innovative, reliable and affordable solutions in this area, using pioneering technology to reduce the CO2 emissions of entire neighborhoods or cities."
Ed Mayes, Development Director at Silvertown, said: "Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Lendlease and a low-carbon energy network is central to our vision for Silvertown. We're delighted to extend our relationship with E.ON and to be working with them to deliver their pioneering ectogridTM in the UK for the first time. Unlocking this complex site is the result of close partnerships - including the London Borough of Newham, the GLA, Homes England, and The Guinness Partnership - and in E.ON we have secured an equally strong partner to support us in delivering on our zero-carbon ambitions."
The use of E.ON's ectogrid is a first for the UK, but is already being used in sustainable projects across Europe, such as Medicon Village in Lund, southern Sweden. When completed, Silvertown will be the largest space heating and cooling network in UK.
ectogrid was a winner of the COP28 Energy Transition Changemakers Award for energy efficiency. The Energy Transition Changemakers initiative was brought to life by the COP28 Presidency to foster collaboration and share knowledge on innovative and scalable decarbonization projects around the world.
Working with Newham and the Royal Docks there is the potential for the network to supply other developments in the Royal Docks area, supporting the decarbonisation of heating across the district.
Currently, half of the Europe's total energy consumption is dedicated to heating and cooling, with nearly 80 percent derived from non-renewable sources, often fossil fuels. With the majority (70 percent) of Europe's population living in urban areas, growing urbanisation will further escalate the demand for both heating and cooling.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by E.ON Group Management and other information currently available to E.ON. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. E.ON SE does not intend, and does not assume any liability whatsoever, to update these forward-looking statements or to align them to future events or developments.
