Member Article

Vital Energi Chosen for £600k Barking District Heating Network Expansion

Vital Energi have secured a new contract with developers Wates Residential to install the pre-insulated network on the Gascoigne West Phase 2 development, as well as the connection between Gascoigne East Energy Centre to Gascoigne West, known as The Shaftesburys.

The contract runs alongside the main Barking District Heating Network scheme that Vital Energi are undertaking for the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, where the Gascoigne Estate section will be one of the main connections, providing heat to a number of properties including social housing homes and private properties.

The Gascoigne Estate connection is expected to commence in September 2021, with completion scheduled for early 2022. The Shaftsburys installation will include excavations outside and inside Gascoigne Primary School, so Vital Energi will deliver this section during the summer holidays to minimise disruption to children, parents and staff alike.

Ashley Walsh, Vital Energi’s Managing Director - Heat Networks explained, “We work closely with the council, Gascoigne Primary School & St Josephs as well as other stakeholders to keep disruption to a minimum and delivering the works during the summer holidays seemed the most obvious way to do this. We were delighted that we could also work with the school to deliver some educational engagement days and site visits to educate around 245 children on the work we’re doing and why decarbonisation is so important for Barking.”

The Gascoigne Estate regeneration is being delivered by Wates over two phases, with the first delivering 200 homes and the second delivering a further 386. Works will see the demolition of the existing estate which will be replaced with five apartment blocks and townhouses. All homes on the estate will receive low-carbon heat via the district heating network.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Gordon Coates .