Vital Energi will be playing a significant role in helping to achieve the government’s ambition to deliver low and zero carbon communities through the implementation of a renewable community energy scheme in the North East of England.

The Homes and Communities Agency’s (HCA) Low Carbon Community Heating Initiative (a partnership with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Communities and Local Government) has set aside £21m in funding for low-carbon community heating schemes across the country allowing neighbourhoods to benefit from cleaner, locally produced energy helping deliver CO2 reductions savings and lower bills for consumers.
Vital Energi's unique experience and knowledge has been a key contributor to the entire Low Carbon Infrastructure initiative, providing the HCA with advice and insight on current market conditions and future low carbon initiatives.

"The Homes and Communities Agency has been running a low carbon infrastructure process and Vital Energi has given enormous support by providing imagination coupled with practicality. Their work is helping to drive forward cost effective solutions to low carbon heat and power at scale. We all need to work hard at ensuring infrastructure for future house building delivers the optimum outcome in terms of reduced carbon and reduced fuel bills for customers.”
Jane Forshaw,  Head of Environmental Policy

Newcastle’s Riverside Dene estate is one the first schemes to be supported under this initiative. Sustainability is at the heart of the £90m Riverside Dene regeneration project that will see the estate transformed with complete redevelopment of its ten 1960’s tower blocks, and a revamped shopping centre over the next five years. Five blocks will be retained by City Council for rent and five blocks improved for sale for home ownership.
Working with Newcastle City Council’s Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) Your Homes Newcastle (YHN), Vital Energi has been appointed to deliver a £1.7m wood fuelled biomass community heating scheme, providing sustainable and affordable heat to residents of the refurbished estate with the objective of reducing fuel poverty and the carbon footprint of the development.

The contract involves upgrading the existing energy centre as well as supply and the installation of biomass and gas boilers, and a buried network of pre-insulated pipes that will distribute heating and hot water from this sustainable energy centre to around 400 dwellings.

The scheme will require Vital Energi working closely with the council’s many contracting partners to ensure that all elements of the works refurbishment programme at Riverside Dene are dovetailed to provide a single and efficient delivery programme, and crucially ensuring the project is completed on-time to meet strict deadlines imposed as part of the funding criteria.

Vital Energi will also be carrying out the on-going operation, management, and maintenance of the installed system over the following 10 years.