French energy group GDF SUEZ now keeps the lights on at 10 Downing Street after acquiring Utilicom Group to create the UK's largest district energy company.
The new company is responsible for operating a number of local low-carbon energy projects, including the Whitehall CHP scheme, which powers the UK seat of power with a 4.9 MW gas turbine and waste heat boiler, together with four conventional dual fuel boilers.
The Whitehall district energy scheme serves 23 Government buildings, including Downing Street and the Treasury. The 1998 refurbishment of the system, including central plant, distribution mains and metering and control systems was extended to include the introduction of high efficiency CHP.
Newly formed COFELY District Energy, which will form part of COFELY's existing UK Energy Services business stream, will nationwide generate 35 MW of low carbon electricity, operate 245 MW of boiler plant, 74 MW of chilled capacity and manage 50 km of district heating and cooling pipework.
COFELY District Energy Ltd will manage a wide range of projects in the UK, including :
* Southampton District Energy Scheme
* Birmingham District Energy Scheme
* London Olympic Park and Stratford City
* The Whitehall CHP scheme
The Utilicom Group and its subsidiaries annually deliver over 33,000 tonnes of CO2 emission reductions, predominantly through combined heat and power (CHP) schemes, meeting the varied heat, cooling and power demands of many of the UK's most prominent city centres through district energy networks.
Wilfrid Petrie, chairman of GDF SUEZ Energy Services Ltd, commented: "District energy schemes are already making a significant contribution to reducing the UK's carbon emissions and this is an area that is set to grow rapidly in the coming years.
“The newly formed COFELY District Energy Ltd will bring together some of the UK's most exciting and prestigious district energy schemes from the COFELY and Utilicom portfolios. COFELY District Energy Ltd is ideally placed to not only develop the services offered to existing customers but also extend these offerings to a wider customer base.
“It will also pave the way for COFELY's further expansion into this rapidly developing sector of the market where across Europe the Group already operates in excess of 110 district energy schemes."
Alain Planchot, President of IDEX "Our strategy of promoting renewable energy solutions also requires to focus our human and financial resources. We have thus decided to concentrate our development on the French market. I am sure that Utilicom Group will continue its success story, started two decades ago, within its new Group."
COFELY operates over 110 district heating and cooling systems in Europe, including the cities of Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Monaco and Paris. GDF SUEZ Energy Services meets the long-term energy needs of businesses and public authorities thanks to technological know-how that emphasizes renewable energy such as biomass, geothermal energy, waste-to-energy and respect for the environment.
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