Luxury towers to generate own power

A pair of luxury apartment blocks next to London's Canary Wharf are set to use a state-of-the-art heating scheme to reduce the building's carbon footprint.


The £27m Pan Peninsular development, which will be the UK’s tallest residential building, will use a combined heat and power (CHP) system to generate its own heat and electricity on site.

The system will save an estimated 207 tonnes of emissions a year, which its manufacturers say is equivalent to the environmental benefits of a 79 hectare forest.

It will also save its residents money on their energy bills – handy for extra spending money for the private cinema and riverside restaurant that will be among the facilities when the iconic towers are completed in 2009.

The CHP system, manufactured by Manchester-based firm Ener-g Combined Power, will recover heat created in the electricity generation process which will then be used to provide heating and hot water for the building.

Simon Walsh, business development director at Haydon Mechanical and Electrical, which is installing the technology, said Pan Peninsular will radically reduce its carbon footprint and set a good example across London and the UK.

He said: “Pan Peninsular will make a substantial and visible contribution to Ken Livingstone’s green London programme while representing a beacon of sustainability for the whole country.

“The CHP system represents a small fraction of the overall building costs, yet this adds tremendous value by creating significant energy savings and considerable environmental benefits.”

The EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive says the benefits of systems such as CHP and community heating programmes must be considered in new buildings with a total useful floor area of more than 1,000sq m.

The development will house 762 luxury apartments. The taller of the two towers has 50 floors and reaches 149m – making it Britain’s 12th tallest building.

Kate Martin

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe