Aberdeen City Council has announced that work is due to begin on the site of a new heat network for the community of Torry which will provide almost 300 homes with low-cost energy.

The £10million Torry Heat Network will supply heat for 146 flats in the three high rises at Morven Court, Brimmond Court, and Grampian Court, Deeside Family Centre, along with Provost Hogg Court and Balnagask House, Tullos Primary School, Torry social work office, and about 150 homes in Balnagask Circle, Balnagask Court, and the Farquhar Road stub blocks.

The heat will be supplied by the energy from waste plant which is being constructed in East Tullos industrial estate to dispose of non-recyclable waste from Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils, and the work includes a heat distribution facility which will be located within the former waste transfer station building beside the EfW site.

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Aberdeen City Council Leader Councillor Jenny Laing said: "It is great to see work is starting next week on the new Torry Heat Network which will bring low-cost heat to tenants' homes and public buildings.

"This will help people with fuel poverty and ensuring they have somewhere warm to live, as well as helping Aberdeen with the goal of reaching net zero for the city.

"We look forward to watching the work progress in the coming months."

As well as work to streets to install the more than 3.7 miles of underground pipes, the project also includes new internal installations, heat metering, and heat supply pipes to the interior of the buildings.

The main spine heat distribution pipes from the heat distribution facility are to be routed underneath the Aberdeen to Dundee railway line to connect with the existing heating network in Torry.

It is expected the work will finish late 2023, depending on weather and availability of materials world-wide.

The main contractor for the work is Vital Energi, which will be carrying out local stakeholder engagement, and appointed Barhale is the specialist design and build under track crossing contractor.

Mike Cooke, Managing Director North & Scotland at Vital Energi, said: "We are pleased to be working with Aberdeen City Council on this innovative project which will harness heat from waste and deliver efficient and affordable low carbon heat to the residents of Torry, whilst helping the council on its journey to net zero."

The project is to receive £5.787million of grant funding from the Scottish Government's Low Carbon Infrastructure Programme and the European Regional Development Fund.