Energy Training Academy launches Scotland’s first district heating education centre – Project Scotland

Report on the Establishment of Scotland’s First District Heating Education Centre

Introduction: The Heat Network Suite at the Energy Training Academy

A dedicated educational facility, the Heat Network Suite, has been established at the Energy Training Academy (ETA) in Dalkeith, Scotland. This initiative represents the first centre of its kind in the country, created to advance knowledge and implementation of district heating networks. The 1,800 sq. ft. facility is designed to host conferences, workshops, and educational events for over 60 participants, complementing the ETA’s existing training programs in the gas and renewables sectors.

Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The project directly supports several key UN Sustainable Development Goals through its focus on clean energy, sustainable community development, education, and collaborative partnerships.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

The initiative is central to promoting the transition to sustainable energy systems. Its contributions include:

• Promotion of Low-Carbon Technology: The centre’s primary function is to advocate for and educate on district heating networks, a key technology for decarbonising heat.
• Utilisation of Waste Heat: The associated Shawfair district heating network, a joint venture between Midlothian Council and Vattenfall Heat UK (Midlothian Energy Ltd), will capture waste heat from the Millerhill Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre (RERC).
• Sustainable Energy Supply: This system will transport captured energy through underground pipes, providing a reliable and low-carbon source of heating and hot water to local properties, thereby reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The Heat Network Suite and its associated projects are integral to developing inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable communities.

• Supporting Sustainable Urban Development: The project will directly benefit Shawfair, a new town development in Midlothian comprising over 3,000 homes and significant commercial space.
• Providing Sustainable Infrastructure: The installation of the District Heating Network provides essential, low-carbon infrastructure necessary for a modern, sustainable community.
• Enhancing Community Resilience: By diversifying the energy supply and utilising local resources, the project contributes to the long-term energy security and environmental sustainability of the region.

SDG 4: Quality Education

The core mission of the Heat Network Suite is to provide inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities in the green energy sector.

1. Targeted Education Programs: The facility is designed to educate a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, local authorities, town planners, academics, contractors, homeowners, and students.
2. Building Technical Capacity: It aims to accelerate the uptake of district heating by closing the knowledge gap surrounding the technology and its benefits.
3. Community and Youth Engagement: Future plans include hosting employability events for schools and providing a community hub for learning about sustainable energy, thereby fostering the next generation of green energy professionals.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The project takes urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heating.

• Reducing Carbon Emissions: By capturing and reusing heat that would otherwise be wasted, the district heating network significantly lowers the carbon footprint of heating for connected homes and businesses.
• Promoting Climate Solutions: The educational centre serves as a platform to disseminate best practices and accelerate the adoption of proven climate mitigation technologies across Scotland.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The establishment and operation of the Heat Network Suite exemplify a multi-stakeholder partnership to achieve sustainable development.

• Public-Private Collaboration: The initiative is a joint effort between public bodies like Midlothian Council and private sector energy and engineering specialists.
• Key Sponsoring Partners:
  • Vattenfall Heat UK
  • OCS
  • SAV Systems
  • PPS District Heating
  • Therma Mech
  • Elevate Everywhere
  • CPC Civils
  • ISOPLUS
  • R3
• Objective of Collaboration: The partnership aims to bring together diverse expertise from local authorities, academics, contractors, and manufacturers to foster innovation and accelerate the deployment of sustainable energy infrastructure.

Future Outlook and Objectives

The long-term vision for the Heat Network Suite is to become a central hub for the district heating supply chain in Scotland. Future enhancements are planned to further its educational mission, including the potential installation of a live data feed from the Millerhill RERC to demonstrate real-time energy generation. The facility will serve as a flexible space for product launches, networking, and community events, further embedding sustainable energy principles within the local and national context.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article focuses on the establishment of “Scotland’s first dedicated district heating education centre” at the Energy Training Academy (ETA). Its primary purpose is to “educate people on the benefits of district heat networks,” targeting a wide audience from “policy makers, home owners, town planners” to “school pupils.” This directly aligns with promoting education for sustainable development.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The core of the article is the promotion and implementation of a district heating network that provides a “low-carbon source of heating and hot water.” The system utilizes waste heat from an Energy Recovery Centre, contributing to the share of clean and sustainable energy sources in the energy mix.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The project involves the installation of a “District Heating Network” with a “network of underground pipes.” This is a significant development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure. The education centre itself is an infrastructure for building skills and knowledge to support a green industry.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The district heating network is being installed in Shawfair, “Midlothian’s newest town,” to serve over “3,000 homes and one million square feet of commercial space.” This initiative makes the community more sustainable by providing access to low-carbon energy and reducing the city’s environmental impact.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The system is designed to capture and use “heat that would otherwise be wasted” from the Millerhill Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre (RERC). This is a clear example of promoting a circular economy by reusing waste energy, thereby reducing waste and promoting sustainable production patterns.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  By providing a “low-carbon source of heating,” the project directly contributes to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. Furthermore, the educational component of the ETA aims to raise awareness and build capacity for climate action by promoting sustainable technologies.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article highlights numerous collaborations. The project is a “joint venture between Midlothian Council and Vattenfall Heat UK.” It also involves primary sponsors (Vattenfall, OCS, SAV Systems) and other key sponsors. The education centre aims to “bring local authorities together with academics, contractors and manufacturers,” embodying the multi-stakeholder partnership approach essential for achieving the SDGs.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.7

   “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…” The Energy Training Academy’s mission to educate stakeholders like “policy makers, home owners, town planners and… school pupils” on district heating directly contributes to this target.

2. Target 7.2

   “By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.” The use of waste heat from the RERC is a form of recovered energy, which contributes to diversifying the energy mix away from fossil fuels and increasing the share of clean energy sources.

3. Target 9.1

   “Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being.” The installation of the district heating network in Shawfair is the development of new, sustainable infrastructure for a modern town.

4. Target 11.6

   “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.” The project reduces the environmental impact of the city by providing low-carbon heating and by efficiently managing waste (recovering heat from the RERC).

5. Target 12.5

   “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.” The system’s core function is to capture and reuse heat that “would otherwise be wasted,” directly aligning with the principle of waste reduction through reuse.

6. Target 13.3

   “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation…” The Heat Network Suite is explicitly designed to “educate” and raise awareness among key stakeholders about a low-carbon technology, thereby building capacity for climate change mitigation.

7. Target 17.17

   “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The project is a clear example of a public-private partnership (Midlothian Council and Vattenfall) and involves a wide range of sponsors and stakeholders from different sectors, as detailed in the article.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of people educated and events held

  The capacity of the suite (“more than 60 people”) and its purpose of hosting “events and workshops” imply that progress can be measured by the number of individuals (policymakers, students, homeowners) educated and the number of awareness-raising events conducted.

• Scale of infrastructure deployment

  The article provides specific figures that can be used as indicators of progress, such as the number of properties connected (“more than 3,000 homes”) and the area of commercial space served (“one million square feet”).

• Amount of clean energy generated

  A direct indicator is mentioned in the aspiration to have a “live feed from the Waste to Energy centre at Millerhill that shows, in real time, how much energy is being generated.” This would provide a quantifiable measure of the low-carbon energy supplied by the network.

• Uptake of district heating networks

  The stated goal to “accelerate the uptake of District Heating Networks across Scotland” implies that an indicator would be the rate of adoption or the number of new networks established in Scotland following the educational and partnership initiatives.

• Number and diversity of partners

  The article lists a joint venture, three primary sponsors, and six other key sponsors. The number and type of organizations (public, private, academic) involved in the initiative can serve as an indicator of successful multi-stakeholder partnerships.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: projectscot.com