The LDA is developing a sustainable district energy system that meets the needs of Londoners today and protects the needs of future generations of Londoners.

The London Thames Gateway Heat Network is a hot water transmission network that will connect diverse sources of affordable low/zero carbon heat to existing and new developments helping to create sustainable communities.

The first sources of heat will be existing industrial plant already in operation in the London Thames Gateway. To complement this, a number of new advanced conversion energy from waste technologies is planned and they will also be able to connect. Heat from these diverse energy sources will be captured and distributed via hot water pipes to properties where the heat will be used for domestic hot water and central heating, replacing conventional boilers.

Ultimately, up to 120,000 homes and properties could have their heat requirements met be the 67km network, saving almost 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ output each year. The first customers could be supplied by early 2011.

The whole transmission line will be built in periodic stages over the next 5 years. We anticipate that Phase 1 will supply heat to the Sustainable Industries Park (SIP) and then to Barking Town Centre. At the same time the network will be started in the Royal Docks (Phase 2) area where ExCel and London City Airport maybe be part of the initial load. Phases three, four and five will see the joining of the Barking Town centre network with that in the Royals and further growth of the Network East and Westerly to Stratford.