Sheffield heat network zone
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Summary
Where Sheffield has got to
Sheffield was named in October 2024 among the first places to develop a heat network zone. The city already has two large networks, Veolia's energy-recovery network and E.ON's Blackburn Meadows. In November 2026 an award notice named E.ON as development partner for the city's Advanced Zoning Programme area, for an initial development stage; the award may still be in its standstill period.
Status
Stage history
- 1Pilot
Listed among the 28 places in the government's heat network zoning pilot, which published its first outputs in September 2024.
Source: Heat networks zoning pilot (GOV.UK) - 2Zone development area
Named by government as one of the first places to develop a heat network zone, sharing £5.8m of Advanced Zoning Programme funding.
Source: Six towns and cities to pilot clean heating innovation (GOV.UK, 25 Oct 2024)
Geography
Zone boundaries and candidate areas
14 possible zones, two of them strategic. Smaller zones include Crystal Peaks, Shiregreen, Stannington, Stocksbridge and High Green.
Source: Heat network zone opportunity report: Sheffield (by Witteveen+Bos and Nordic Energy)Candidate areas come from government-commissioned studies and council work. They are not legal boundaries. A zone’s boundary is fixed only when it is designated under the zoning regulations.
Delivery
Developers and partners
| Organisation | Role | Date |
|---|---|---|
| E.ONAward notice for the heat network development partner for the Sheffield Advanced Zoning Programme area, published 6 November 2026. It covers an initial development-agreement stage. The award may still be in its standstill period.Source: Heat Network Development Partner for the Sheffield AZP Opportunity Area (Find a Tender) | Development or delivery partner (outside the statutory process) | 29 Oct 2026 |
No statutory zone developer can be appointed until a zone is designated. Partners appointed by councils before then are listed as development or delivery partners.
Today
Existing heat networks
Sheffield District Energy Network · Veolia
Fed by the city's energy recovery facility.
Source: District Energy Network FAQs (Veolia)Blackburn Meadows network · E.ON
A 12km expansion was approved in March 2026.
Source: E.ON green light for Sheffield heat network expansion (E.ON)
Paper trail
Council and government documents
| Date | Document |
|---|---|
| Heat Network Development Partner for the Sheffield AZP Opportunity Area: award noticeSheffield City Council (Find a Tender) | |
| Heat network zone opportunity report: Sheffield (by Witteveen+Bos and Nordic Energy)Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | |
| Six towns and cities to pilot clean heating innovationDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero |
Changelog
Changes logged for Sheffield
Alerts
Get an email when Sheffield changes stage
Sources
Sources for this page
- Heat networks zoning pilot (updated 25 November 2025) — Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 25 November 2025
- Six towns and cities to pilot clean heating innovation — Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 25 October 2024
- Heat network zone opportunity report: Sheffield (by Witteveen+Bos and Nordic Energy) — Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 14 February 2025
- Heat Network Development Partner for the Sheffield AZP Opportunity Area: award notice — Sheffield City Council (Find a Tender), 6 November 2026
Record last checked .