Peterborough Council-led partnership to design £2m smart city regeneration project

Peterborough Council is leading a partnership for a two-year £2 million project to provide green transport, electricity and heat for the city.

The Peterborough Integrated Renewables Infrastructure project (PIRI) combines a next generation heat network, electricity network and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure under one scheme.

PIRI has been granted funding to begin the design of a local, smart energy system.

The partnership includes: SSE Enterprise, Element Energy, Cranfield University, Smarter Grid Solutions and Sweco UK.

The PIRI project brings together energy generation, demand and storage and is envisaged to serve as a blueprint for other urban locations across the UK.

PIRI will be part funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Prospering from the Energy Revolution and is one of five to win funding to create a pipeline of local energy system designs that will be ready to roll out across the UK in the 2020s.

The PIRI project aims to deliver “a significant drop in CO2 emissions by 2030”, while cutting energy bills by up to a quarter.

 Cllr Marco Cereste, cabinet member for the environment at Peterborough City Council, said: “PIRI is a landmark step in our aim to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and will be the most exciting and innovative clean, green energy project the city and indeed the country has ever seen.”

Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, Kwasi Kwarteng, said: “Every corner of the UK has a part to play as we eliminate our contribution to climate change entirely by 2050. This innovative project in Peterborough will deliver energy savings and reduce carbon emissions – a win-win for communities and the environment.”