District heating

Description

This is a contract award for the provision of consultancy services for a Detailed project development study and clients representative in respect of the innovative ERDF-funded Caerau Mine Water Heat Scheme to Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC). Contract Awarded. The Caerau Mine Water District Heating Scheme is one of several projects being developed by BCBC in order to help meet the demands of The UK Climate Change Act 2008 which has set legally binding CO2 emission reduction targets of 35 % by 2020 and 80 % by 2050. This project is being undertaken with assistance of the Heat Network Delivery Unit (HDNU), whose mandate is to support the development of heat networks to reduce the UK’s dependency upon fossil fuels and to reduce carbon emissions. The project site is the village of Caerau which lies at the head of the Llynfi valley some 3 miles north of Maesteg. The project will involve procuring a consultant to undertake a ‘Detailed Project Development Study’ and to act as the clients representative for the proposed district heat network project in the village of Caerau in the Upper Llynfi Valley where the energy source is to be mine water. It is intended that the proposed district heat network will connect to heat pumps that will provide warm water for both space heating and hot water for up to 800 homes in Caerau. The project includes borehole drilling and activation, installation of pipework infrastructure and the connection to some 400 homes. Building on work already carried out (including energy mapping, master planning and detailed feasibility work), the purpose of this study is: — to further develop the project to RIBA stage2 standard; — to prepare tender documents for the construction phase. The client’s representative role is to procure and manage a suitable contractor and other suppliers to deliver the scheme. The client for the project will be Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC). The contract is to be carried out in 2 phases through a series of work packages as listed below. It must be noted that the initial contract will be for Phase 1 with an option to proceed to Phase 2 at the sole discretion of BCBC on the basis of the performance of the successful tenderer and the Caerau project’s suitability for development. 1) Phase 1: detailed project development study – See Appendix 1 — specification; 2) Phase 2: client’s representative — See Appendix 1 — specification. Sustainability opportunities Sustainability and security of energy supply is at the heart of this project with the emphasis on moving from fossil fuels to a more sustainable energy source, i.e. moving from gas fired heating to low carbon heat pump systems using the renewable warm mine water resource beneath the village. There is also potential to move from electricity being supplied by the grid to a more sustainable supply from the nearby wind farm.