A Plymouth green energy scheme has been recognised at the world's biggest climate conference.
The innovative Fifth Generation Heating and Cooling Network, which the Council has been developing in Millbay, won two prizes at COP28, held in Dubai, UAE, last week.
The scheme was awarded the Sustainable Infrastructure Grand Prize as well as the overall Green Solutions Awards Grand Prize – triumphing in a field of over 200 international entries.
The network will allow waste heat from cooling in buildings like the Plymouth Pavilions and Moxy Hotel, to be reused for heating buildings in the area,which would be supplemented by other renewable sources of heat. This very low carbon solution will help to significantly reduce emissions.
The network will also have the advantage that it can provide cooling alongside heating to the connected buildings, helping to ensure these can adapt to climate change and the increase in cooling demand over time.
The pipes have already been installed as part of the Millbay Boulevard development to allow connection of these buildings, and to the new Plymouth Community Homes development which gained planning permission last week.
Complementary works to install heat pumps and solar have already been completed at Ballard House, to allow it to connect but also at the Moxy Hotel.
Councillor Tom Briars-Delve, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change, said: "I am absolutely honoured that a Plymouth-based scheme has received this recognition.
"To win such a big award, at such a big event is testament to the work we're trying to do here to reduce our carbon emissions and think about a future changed by rocketing global temperatures.
"The good news is that this is just the beginning. We have more schemes like this in the pipeline as we continue to make Plymouth as environmentally friendly as we possibly can."