Dundee City Council is aiming to reduce its carbon emissions after revealing plans to develop a strategy for introducing small, local heating schemes in the city over the next decade.

Next week, Councillors will meet to discuss plans for using pioneering technology to develop its vision, similar to one developed almost a century ago in the Logie area in 1919. The Logie estate is thought to be one the first public housing schemes built in Scotland after the First World War and one of the first in Europe to have a district heating scheme, supplied by a boiler house that also provided a public wash-house for the surrounding area.

The council's strategy envisages the various projects being delivered as combined heat and power energy centres, which will reduce reliance on electricity and gas generated using carbon fuels. It identifies potential initial opportunities for such systems in Lochee, Linlathen and the Dighty Corridor which would pay back the investment made in them within eight to 10 years.

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In addition, council officers would be tasked to consider the options for creating an Energy Services Company (ESCo) to provide longer term local heat and power schemes.

The city council has already secured £3m of Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme funding to develop a low carbon district energy hub at the Regional Performance Centre for Sport in Caird Park, which will combine ground source heat pumps, a combined heat and power unit, solar thermal panels and other technologies.

John Alexander, Convener of Dundee City Council's Policy and Resources Committee, said: "As a city we led the way in such systems and I am delighted to be bringing forward plans that will use the latest techniques and equipment to reduce fuel costs, carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty.

"We want to secure external capital backing on a project by project basis from existing funding sources like the Scottish Government's Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) to help us to heat homes, reduce energy consumption and put us back at the forefront of district heating."

(LM/MH)