Work is now complete on the build of the Paul Younger Centre, Hebburn’s Renewable Energy Centre, which will now provide renewable heat to buildings and residents in the town.
The new modern building, located in the heart of the town on land off Victoria Road West, houses a two stage 450kw air to water source heat pump solution which takes ambient heat from the air and converts it into low-temperature-hot-water to provide reliable, low carbon heating.
The project has been delivered by South Tyneside Council in partnership with Vital Energi and Driver Group.
Stephen Kelleher of Driver Group, Councillor Tracey Dixon the Leader of South Tyneside Council, Scott Lutton of Vital Energi
The air source heat pumps have allowed the council to reduce its reliance on traditional, gas-fired boilers, help to cut carbon emissions by approximately 320 tonnes per year and significantly contributed to the Council’s climate change aspirations of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
Alongside the design and build of the energy centre, Vital Energi has also installed a district heating network which distributes heat to the customers including the residents of Durham Court and Hebburn Central Leisure Centre, with potential for further connections to be added in the future.
Electricity generated locally using solar panels and a Combined Heat and Power unit is helping to power the system.
The building is named after Hebburn-born Professor Paul Younger, one of the region’s pioneering scientists, who played a key role in the bid to make Newcastle a City of Science and Technology.
The scheme, which secured over £4.8million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund, has been developed in collaboration with the Coal Authority and Durham University.
