edie Explains: Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

26th April 2023

edie Explains: Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

Is combined heat & power (CHP) right for your business? What are the different CHP technology options, and how do you choose the right one? This updated edie explains business guide has the answers.

CHP has become a well-proven technology across the world and is now recognised as a viable alternative to centralised energy generation – according to statistics from the UK Government, in 2020, there were 2,659 CHP sites across the country, 81 more than in 2019. In total, around 15% of UK CHP capacity was classed as renewable in 2021, using fuels such as biomass, biogas/syngas, waste, and bioliquids. Gas remains the main fuel consumed by CHP schemes, representing 72% of the total in 2020.

The growing hydrogen market, spurred by Government ambitions for the UK to host 10GW by 2030, has seen many ask how CHP systems can complement the growth of green hydrogen. Unfortunately, the Government has delayed its decision on what role hydrogen can play in the heat system – namely for domestic purposes – until 2026. Organisations including the supporting partners for this guide, Centrica Business Solutions, are now developing CHP systems that would be compatible with hydrogen to be deployed as and when the network grows.

Over the course of 2021, 66 new sites came online in the UK, accounting for around 55MW of additional electrical capacity. Around a third of the new sites were located in North West and South East. Overall, CHP qualifying output accounted for around 7% of the UK’s total electricity generation in 2021, the latest available data from the UK Government.

Produced in association with Centrica Business Solutions, this 12-page guide provides an end-to-end overview of CHP systems – from the business benefits to key policy updates, this guide’s got it covered.

Click “read the guide” to the side of this window to access your free copy of the CHP guide.

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