Sunderland heat network zone

Sunderland has signed a joint development agreement with 1Energy for a Sunderland Central heat network, dated December 2025 with an estimated value of £130m. It is a council partnership rather than a statutory zone appointment. The city already has a hospital network and a shared ground loop in Monkwearmouth.

1. September 2024

   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)

16 possible zones. The single strategic zone, Sunderland Central, takes in the city centre, the port and the Royal Hospital; smaller zones include Washington and Doxford Park.

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.

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.

• Sunderland Royal Hospital network and the Monkwearmouth shared ground loop

  Source: Heat network zone opportunity report: Sunderland (by WSP)

• 4 Dec 2025Sunderland signs development agreement with 1Energy
• 14 Feb 2025First 15 zone opportunity reports published
• 23 Sep 2024First zoning pilot outputs: heat network zone maps

1. Heat networks zoning pilot (updated 25 November 2025) — Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 25 November 2025
2. Heat network zone opportunity report: Sunderland (by WSP) — Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 14 February 2025

Record last checked 8 November 2026.