Our story
South Tyneside Council declared a climate emergency in July 2019 and pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030 by implementing a range of innovative renewable energy schemes to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
We have plans for three major District Heating Networks of which Viking Energy Network Jarrow (VENJ) is the first to be completed. VENJ is key to the council becoming carbon neutral and hitting our target. The VENJ Energy Centre is situated on a council brownfield site on the south bank of the River Tyne, where it extracts river water and uses Water Source Heat Pump technology to feed the VENJ.
VENJ is a UK-first; providing low-cost, low-carbon energy directly to nine connected buildings via a dedicated network of pipelines and power cables, with allowance for future expansion. The project is expected to deliver savings of over 1,000 tonnes of carbon and £500,000 a year.
The system should run virtually carbon neutral during the summer, with the heat pump powered by the solar farm, and surplus electricity used in council buildings.
Water passes through rotating filters and a heat exchanger, and is re-injected 3C cooler downstream. A heat pump uses ammonia an ozone-friendly refrigeration technology to increase water pressure and temperature to levels suitable for heating buildings. The heat pump is supplemented by a gas-fired Combined Heat & Power (CHP) during higher winter load. CHP-generated electricity will feed council buildings and heat generated will be fed into the network. Peak demand for electricity and heat often coincide, to be offset by storage of surplus electrical and thermal energy. The system has a life expectancy of 50-plus years. A solar farm (PV) installed locally will contribute to the electricity supply, with the surplus being stored for release to the private network.
The project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) whose objective is to stimulate local economic development through investing in innovation, businesses, and job creation. The scheme became operational in October 2023 and was subsequently awarded the 'Best Climate Action or Decarbonisation Initiative' at the 2024 Association of Public Sector Excellence (APSE) Awards.
Our advice
Inspiration can come from different places! Our inspiration for the water source heat pump came from the Drammen scheme in Norway, which uses Fjord water at 8C to contribute around 85% of the heating requirements for the town. The Clydebank scheme near Glasgow has also been developed and some techniques of water abstraction and environmental protection from that scheme have informed the design of VENJ.
Think creatively to find the best solutions. The decision to use the former coal staithes, which were expanded to facilitate coal exports from the region in the 1930s, as a low-carbon solution was technically challenging but a very positive post-fossil statement, and has enabled the staithes to be preserved for the benefit of the community.
Our Changeprint
Our Changeprint can be measured by the low-cost, low-carbon energy provided to all the connected buildings; the carbon emissions saved by deploying an innovative district heating network; reduced reliance on fossil fuels; and the significant contribution of this scheme towards becoming a carbon neutral council with years not decades.
