Bristol City Council has announced a partnership with Ameresco and Vattenhall Heat UK, companies working in the renewable energy and efficiency sector. This is a world-first partnership which will bring in over £1bn of investment to achieve Bristol’s carbon targets by 2030 as part of the ground-breaking venture known as Bristol City Leap.
The Bristol City Leap initiative between the Council and renewable energy company Ameresco aims to transform the way Bristol produces, distributes, stores and uses energy. European energy company Vattenhall is an essential subcontractor in the joint venture.
Britta MacIntosh, senior vice president of Ameresco, said:
“As municipalities across the globe consider next steps in their own decarbonisation path, we hope Bristol City Leap is a showcase example of how action drives transformative results.
Our team is thrilled to be a part of such an incredible initiative taken by the City of Bristol that will hopefully open the eyes of neighbouring areas to the possibilities that exist within city-wide decarbonisation projects.”
The partnership deal which is expected to last 20 years was approved by Cabinet back in December. Contracts to finalise the agreement were signed aboard the SS Great Britain on 18th January.
The private sector is expected to invest at least £424m in a range of large infrastructure projects and install over 182MW of low carbon energy generation across Bristol in the first five years of the partnership with the aim of reducing the City’s carbon footprint by at least 140,000 tonnes.
The Bristol City Leap initiative plans to rapidly increase the scale and pace of investment in low carbon energy infrastructure such as wind energy, solar energy, low carbon heat networks as well as other energy efficiency measures and smart energy systems.
Kye Dudd, cabinet member for environment, ecology, energy & waste said:
“City Leap is a big deal for Bristol. The partnership has secured the funding, knowledge, and resources to usher in a period of extraordinary innovation, investment, and growth to accelerate our progress in reducing carbon emissions and tackling the climate emergency.”
Projects will include a major expansion of Bristol’s award-winning Heat Network, providing local businesses and residents with access to reliable, affordable low carbon heat from sustainable sources. Solar panels and low carbon heating will also be installed at local schools and Bristol City Council’s social housing will be made more energy efficient with the aim of reducing energy bills.
Apart from the ambitious investment towards energy de-carbonisation, the partnership is also set to deliver £61.5m in ‘social value’ to the city over the next 5 years with the expected creation of more than 1,000 new jobs, apprenticeships, and work placements.
Another goal for which there is much enthusiasm, is the establishment of a new Community Energy Development fund worth £1.5m. A pledge has also been made to pay Bristol City Leap staff and any subcontractors within the supply chain the real living wage. This substantial investment will go into community-owned renewable energy projects to help residents play a part in Bristol’s journey to carbon neutrality. It is hoped that decarbonisation support can be offered to public sector properties such as hospitals and schools in the future, using this investment.
Marvin Rees, mayor of Bristol, said:
“Bristol City Leap is a big deal for Bristol. This is a world first and sets out a clear blueprint for city-scale decarbonisation for other cities and regions to follow. Bristol City Leap will have a real impact for Bristol residents including the ways that we power and heat our homes, which is perhaps more important than ever before.”
According to Kye Dudd, the council has invested nearly £100 million in decarbonisation projects over the last five years, which includes completing the construction of Castle Park Energy Centre that houses England’s largest water source heat pump. However, he said that much greater investment in the billions, was needed to meet their One City Climate Strategy targets by 2030.
Lizz Testani, Chief Executive Officer of the Bristol Green Capital Partnership, said:
“This is a huge partnership for Bristol and due to its scale, ensuring its ability to deliver genuine social value for the city has been a major part of the procurement process. Bristol Green Capital Partnership is really looking forward to working with City Leap to engage communities and businesses to maximise the opportunities for inclusive climate action across Bristol.”
Bristol City Leap has published a summary of its five-year business plan covering the range of projects expected to be delivered up until 2027 and will be discussing opportunities across the city through a series of community launch events in March 2023.
Stuart Allison, Director of Strategy at Vattenfall Heat UK, said:
“We are proud to have the opportunity to build on the pioneering work delivered by Bristol City Council. We look forward to building on the foundations they have laid with their award-winning heat network to decarbonise additional areas of the city, and providing affordable, low-carbon heat to more people in Bristol. Partnering with Ameresco means both companies can use their expertise to take a strategic approach to Bristol's energy system, with the aim of delivering carbon neutrality by 2030."
