The Senedd, Tŷ Hywel and Wales Millennium Centre have all connected to Cardiff Council’s low‑carbon heat network, marking another step forward in the city’s journey towards carbon neutrality.
Connecting to Cardiff Heat Network, eliminates the need for these landmark buildings to use gas boilers, cutting their carbon emissions from heating by up to 80%.
Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Cllr Dan De’Ath, said:
“These three buildings are at the heart of Welsh public and cultural life. Their connection to the heat network sends a real signal that Cardiff, as the capital city of Wales, is serious about playing its part in tackling climate change and increasing its energy resilience while continuing to serve communities.”
The network captures surplus heat generated as a by‑product of electricity production at Viridor’s Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility. This heat, which would otherwise be lost within the plant, is then transported through a network of highly insulated pipes to key buildings across Cardiff Bay, where it is used to provide sustainable, low carbon heating and hot water.
Steve Morris, Head of Business Operations at Wales Millennium Centre, said:
“Connecting Wales Millennium Centre to the Cardiff Heat Network is an important step in reducing our environmental impact and strengthening the sustainability of our iconic building. As a national home for the arts, we have a responsibility to lead by example, and this partnership helps us cut carbon emissions while ensuring a resilient, low‑carbon heating supply for the future. We’re proud to play our part in supporting Cardiff’s transition to a cleaner, greener city.”
Matthew Jones, The Senedd’s Head of FM Services and Sustainability, said:
“Joining the heat network is a good opportunity to secure a resilient, locally-produced heat supply for the Senedd estate. We expect joining the scheme to lower both our operating costs and carbon footprint. As such, this is a key part of the Senedd Commission's Carbon Neutral Strategy and we've been very pleased to work with Cardiff Council on this project.”
The new connections join Cardiff and Vale College, Tresillian House, Nelson House, Butetown Community Centre, and the council-owned social housing development at Scott Harbour, which have all connected to the network recently.
The £15.5 million heat network was funded through a UK Government grant alongside a loan from Welsh Government and delivered by Cardiff Council, through its arm’s-length company, Cardiff Heat Network Ltd. It is a central part of the Council’s One Planet Cardiff response to climate change which has helped to see per capita carbon emissions in the city reduce by 21.6% since 2019.
Cardiff Heat Network Ltd is in discussions with more potential customers, in close proximity to the current network of pipes, with a view to adding further connections. Funding options are also being explored for a potential ‘phase 2' of the network, which could see the network expand further into the city centre and Cardiff Bay.
Although the network’s initial heat source is Viridor’s Energy Recovery Facility, the network is designed to be ‘heat source neutral.’ This means that in the future, it could potentially be connected to alternative or additional heat sources such as the groundwater or deep geothermal heat that exists beneath Cardiff’s streets.
