Vital Energi are delighted to be installing a new, lower-carbon type of district heating pipework on the Ebbw Vale heat network in a UK first.
All district heating has a protective outer coating to ensure longevity once it is buried underground, but on a new product called isonext, the outer casing is made from waste and remains of vegetable oil, refining processes or used cooking oil which is collected from industrial companies and restaurants.

The product is being installed as a 113-metre extension on the larger 4km Ebbw Vale heat network. The Ebbw Vale heat network is operated by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and takes heat from a centralised energy centre and supplies space heating and hot water to a number of buildings including council offices, Ebbw Vale Sports Centre, Ebbw Fawr Phase School and Gwent Archive Building. The extension will connect the National Digital Exploitation Centre.

Isonext Is produced by Danish manufacturers isoplus who claim that the new way of manufacturing their polyethylene outer coating saves 1.9 tonnes of C02 for every 1 tonne of material produced, has International Sustainability and Carbon Certification and complies fully with EN 253 standards.