Green energy system to power homes and businesses in Wigan town centre as £2.6m secured for The Galleries redevelopment

Cityheart, working with Wigan Council, has secured funding from the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) to help cut carbon emissions and support greener energy.

The £135m Galleries redevelopment project in Wigan town centre will include a new basement and energy centre.

This will serve 464 homes across seven new residential towers, a 140-bedroom hotel, cinema, market hall building, pavilion building with a bar and restaurant, retirement living unit and new square for events.

The entire scheme will be underpinned by ambient heating loops made possible by the HNIP grant.

The new development will use a mix of technologies, but at its core will be ground source heat pumps, which are expected to deliver more than 2,500 tonnes of carbon emission savings per year, replacing outdated and energy consuming systems.

The system will transfer heat from the ground to heat these new buildings and provide a consistent supply of hot water.

Cityheart director Warren Taylor said: “This complex, innovative energy network is one of the first of its kind to be implemented on this scale in the country and crucially, it provides both Wigan Council and the local borough with its critical first step on the road to becoming a sustainable, carbon neutral town.

"Together with our professional team, we have designed a bespoke energy solution that will provide The Galleries site with a private wire network and ambient heat loop to self-generate and distribute heat and power, paving the way to the de-carbonisation of the completed development. By creating this future proof solution for the scheme, we are helping Wigan Council achieve its decarbonisation targets and most importantly, dramatically reducing energy costs for our tenants.”

Council leader Coun David Molyneux, said “In July 2019, Wigan Council launched its Climate Change Strategy, demonstrating our commitment to building a greener and more sustainable borough. The Galleries redevelopment has been designed with these principles at its heart and this funding will help us to realise these ambitions while reducing the environmental impact.”

The £288m HNIP provides targeted financial support for the commercialisation and construction of heat network projects in England, with a key focus on deployment.

Wigan’s grant was part of £30m dished out in the final awards by HNIP – which is changing its name to Green Heat Network Fund – with money also given to local authorities in Peterborough and Hull.

Ken Hunnisett, programme director for Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management , which is delivering the scheme, said: “Such has been the pace at which the Green Heat Network Fund has launched that we are still announcing the late-stage successes of its predecessor, the Heat Network Investment Project.

"The new network at the heart of the redeveloped Galleries shopping centre in Wigan will be delivering low carbon heat to retail, leisure and residential premises within the next three years.”