The Scottish Government has announced it has awarded £1.75 million for three heating schemes in Shetland, Clydebank and Glasgow.

The schemes will use water source heat pump technology to extract heat from water.

The schemes are:

• A £1.6 million loan for a large scale sea-water source heat pump scheme in Lerwick, to allow 225 more households to join the existing heat network

• Funding of £75,000 for the Queens Quay Development on the site of the former John Brown Shipyard, to develop an investment prospectus for a district heating network using a water source heat pump in the River Clyde basin

-- Advertisement --

• Funding of £75,000 for the University of Glasgow Western Campus to develop an investment grade proposal to install a water source heat pump in the River Kelvin to ensure the existing district heating network can service new buildings planned for the site of the former Western Infirmary hospital.

Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: "Supporting the development of district heating and wider low carbon technologies will help maximise the economic opportunities from Scotland’s low carbon sector.

"Heat is estimated to account for over half of Scotland’s total energy use and is responsible for nearly half of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions, so the imperative to take action is very clear.

"Continued growth in the number of homes and businesses benefitting from connecting to low carbon, affordable warmth provided by district heating networks helps the Scottish Government towards realising our ambition to increase the number of connections to district heating networks by 2020."

(CD)