海角视频

Veolia 鈥� Southwark 2.0 Heat Network

London, UK

Southwark Council aimed to cut carbon emissions and deliver affordable, secure heating to thousands of new homes and businesses, deepening its commitment to climate action and sustainable growth.

Working with Veolia and and London Borough of Southwark, 海角视频 helped achieve these goals by designing and modelling the Southwark 2.0 Heat Network expansion. This involved 7km of new district heating infrastructure extending from the existing South East London Combined Heat and Power (SELCHP) facility.

This ambitious project enables reliable, low-carbon heat for around 5,000 additional homes and businesses, projected to save 14,000 tonnes of CO鈧� annually, setting a new standard for urban decarbonisation, resilience, and community benefit.

The design aims to provide around 5,000 homes with a low-cost and reliable source of heat.

The low-carbon heat supply will replace aging gas-fired heating systems, which will significantly decrease the London Borough of Southwark鈥檚 carbon emissions.

The digitisation of our surveys through the use of Matterport 360 photography and point cloud (laser scanning) surveys, formed a key aspect of our delivery approach.

The quality of the 360 photography was such that the requirement for repeat site visits was significantly reduced, meaning we could work to a tight programme and meet the budget.

Challenge

In 2022, Veolia secured via HNIP (Heat Networks Investment Project) commercialisation and construction funding for the extension of the SELCHP heat network. Veolia worked alongside the London Borough of Southwark to deliver immediate and long-term carbon reductions to existing and new residential estates and commercial developments.

Veolia appointed 海角视频 to undertake the RIBA Stage 2 and Stage 3 multidisciplinary design for the modifications of 12 existing housing estate boiler houses which were proposed as new connections to the extended district heating scheme, with a total heat demand of around 18MW. Our design aimed to quantify and qualify the construction works required to develop cost estimates and to enable the appointment of suitable contractors.

Our team was also responsible for undertaking hydraulic modelling of the existing and proposed Southwark District Heat network 鈥� a large-scale city network with a future heat demand of more than 70MW. Modelling work was used to support network sizing, heat loss assessment, pumping and operational temperature strategies. In addition, we provided project management services covering all three project lots, which included modification of existing housing estate boiler houses, DH network design and system modifications at the SELCHP energy recovery facility.

Comprehensive condition surveys for the 12 London Borough of Southwark boiler houses were required given the prospective adoption by Veolia. A central requirement of our appointment was to provide a detailed record of the existing constraints with each plant room and the current asset health of mechanical and electrical systems as well as building fabric and structural condition.

The project was challenging due to the number of sites being investigated and the complexity of the project itself, but a clear and concise approach to tasks and documentation enabled the project to be delivered on time with no variations to the original contract scope. A multidisciplinary approach delivered through 海角视频鈥檚 in-house expertise was central to the successful and timely delivery of the project.

To support design decision-making and validate key assumptions for heat modelling, temporary metering was also installed. This was particularly important for verifying the accuracy of gas metering data, which underpinned the overall modelling strategy. Another challenge arose from the frequent changes in assumptions, often driven by client-led modifications such as the replacement of equipment or the installation of temporary boilers. These changes not only impacted the design process but also had implications for the overall resilience and reliability of the system.

Solution

The project was led by our energy consulting team, with additional expertise from our MEP, fire, structural engineering and environmental consulting teams.

Minimising the construction programme and operational downtime to existing residents was critical. We used point cloud laser scanning surveys to record the existing plant rooms and develop 12 individual and precise 3D Revit models. These were then used to develop existing piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) drawings and in turn used to find the most effective design solution with minimal impact to site users.

The use of collaborative, digital design solutions such at Revit and BIM360 were essential in sharing information effectively. The adoption of laser scanning and 3D modelling has also allowed Veolia to be more accurate with pricing and subsequent tendering as the design itself has fewer unknowns and estimates. It also provides a clear indication of the condition of the plantrooms before ownership of the spaces and systems are transferred to Veolia.

The quality and scope of the 360 photography surveys and 3D modelling was undertaken to such a standard that the requirement for repeat site visits was significantly reduced meaning we could work to the tight programme and meet our client鈥檚 budget

Resilience in heat supply to the existing housing estates was a central focus of our work. Through the deployment of temporary energy metering, energy modelling and hydraulic modelling, we were able to characterise estate heat demands to develop an 鈥渆state鈥� as well as a 鈥渘etwork鈥� level approach to ensuring resiliency in heat supply. We developed a resiliency strategy that considered impacts of estate level failures as well as network level failures, defining how existing gas boiler plant can be used to provide system back-up and setting out where and how temporary boilers can be used to ensure continuity in heat supply.

Our team also delivered energy metering surveys across the residential estates, providing a reassurance that the modifications would be sized accurately to meet the demands of the community鈥檚 energy usage. Hydraulic modelling and district heating network sizing outputs were ultimately used in the Stage 3 tender for the Southwark DHN extension scope. These outputs were fundamental to providing confidence in certain design decisions and in minimising whole life cost of the proposed network extension.

Value

The project was successfully completed to time and budget, allowing for commencement of the D&B contractor procurement process in early 2023. This was a key outcome given HNIP funding deadlines, allowing the project to progress in accordance with targeted timescales.

Securing the construction work against the challenging programme was key to ensure that our client could draw down the grant funding. The project successfully enabled the roll-out of resilient, low carbon heating to thousands more residents across South East London.