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1Energy secures GHNF funding for Oxford heat network

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1Energy has secured £21m of investment from the government’s Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) for a city-wide heat network for Oxford.

Heating accounts for over 21 per cent of Britain’s air pollution and 37 per cent of total carbon emissions
Heating accounts for over 21 per cent of Britain’s air pollution and 37 per cent of total carbon emissions - Oxford City Council

The company plans to initially invest an additional £100mn of private capital to develop, build and operate the first phase of the Oxford Energy Network. 

After completing phase one of the Oxford Energy Network, 1Energy plans to expand the network to provide low-carbon heat to the majority of Oxford by 2050, which will require over £500m of investment.

Alongside engaging major institutions in the city – Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, the Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership (ZCOP)4, Oxford Brookes University and the University of Oxford – 1Energy is working to advance the network, with plans to begin construction in 2026 following engagement with the local community and securing planning consent.

 

 

 

By initially targeting organisations with high heat consumption, the project could reduce Oxford’s fossil-fuel gas demand by up to 10 per cent. The network is also projected to reduce carbon emissions by 15,000 tonnes a year – approximately two per cent of Oxford’s entire annual emissions – by cutting emissions from connected buildings by up to 81 per cent.

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heat networks