Construction work is to start to extend Leeds district heating network by 2,500 metres.

The extension marks the third major phase of the Leeds PIPES network and means that more buildings in new areas of the city will soon be able to enjoy the benefits of reliable, affordable, and low carbon district heating.

Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to construct the extension will get underway from the week beginning September 19.

The local authority secured £3.0 million of grant funding from the Heat Network Investment Project, a government funding programme, to enable the £7.4 million upgrades to go ahead.

By using heat and energy recovered from non-recyclable waste at the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF) to provide hot water to buildings in the city, Leeds’ flagship district heating project helps businesses and residents to move away from costly fossil fuel powered heating systems.

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Last year the network of insulated underground pipes, soon to stretch more than 28 kilometres (17 miles) in length, supplied 15,454 megawatt-hours of heating and helped reduce the city’s carbon footprint by more than 2,000 tonnes.

The £49 million network continues to expand and is regularly connecting to new buildings. Buildings and developments located nearby can choose to connect at any time.

Leeds Combined Court Centre and Leeds Magistrates' Court are the latest buildings to announce plans to connect to the scheme. The two buildings will connect as part of a wider programme of green upgrades over the next year.

The project, delivered in partnership with Vital Energi, has also helped employ more than 430 people in the local low carbon sector including 36 apprentices.

Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council's executive member for Infrastructure and Climate, said: "The Leeds PIPES district heating network is one of our most exciting infrastructure projects and has real momentum behind it with more public, commercial, and residential buildings all choosing to connect.

"By extending the network to more parts of the city, I am delighted that we’ll soon be able to give even more businesses and residents the opportunity to enjoy affordable, reliable and low carbon heat—helping them to move away from costly fossil fuel based systems and towards a greener future."