Â鶹ÊÓƵ

A flagship renewable energy scheme in South Tyneside has scooped another prestigious national award.

The UK-first Viking Energy Network at Jarrow (VENJ) won in the Public Sector Project category at the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) awards last week.

VENJ harnesses low-grade heat from the River Tyne and exports it to council-owned buildings, including Jarrow Focus leisure centre, three residential tower blocks, Jarrow Business Centre, and Jarrow Town Hall.

The scheme, which marks its first year of operation this month, cuts annual carbon emissions by 1,035 tonnes.

It combines a river source heat pump, a combined heat and power (CHP) back-up system, a 1 megawatt solar farm, and a private wire electrical network with storage battery, making it the first of its kind in the country.

The RICS Awards 'showcase the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction, and infrastructure. They recognise outstanding achievement, teamwork, and companies.'

Councillor Ernest Gibson, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change at Â鶹ÊÓƵ said: "We are absolutely delighted to have won this award and see the Viking Energy Network recognised for the outstanding and innovative project it is. 

"VENJ is genuinely pioneering and we are extremely proud to have led the way with it. This award is recognition of the vision and dedication of the teams who delivered it.

"The network ensures minimal use of fossil fuels and demonstrates our commitment to cleaner, more secure energy sources."

The project attracted a £4.6m ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) grant for its innovative approach and was constructed by Colloide Engineering Systems Ltd.

The scheme consists of an energy centre on the banks of the River Tyne, along with an extensive pipe network that distributes the heat across Jarrow. A water source heat pump, using river water as its source of energy, is located at the heart of the energy centre.

Water source heat pumps work by extracting heat from a body of water, compressing it to increase the temperature and then converting it into useful energy in the form of hot water in a network of insulated pipes.

A solar farm provides much of the electricity to power the heat pump, ensuring it runs close to carbon neutral in the summer months.

CHP - which would be used if the solar panels do not generate enough electricity - is a highly-efficient process that harnesses the heat that is a by-product of the electricity generation process, and which would otherwise be wasted.

Just last month, the scheme won Best Climate Action or Decarbonisation Initiative at this year's Association of Public Sector Excellence (APSE) Awards.