Construction of District Heat Network energy centre in Crawley celebrates halfway milestone

Once completed, the DHN will supply affordable heat and hot water for connected residents and businesses at the new Town Hall, John Brackpool Close, Geraint Thomas House and the proposed residential development to be sited on the location of the current Town Hall. The DHN is due to be operational in February 2022.

SEE ALSO Building work on new homes accelerates in Crawley figures reveal | Gareth Southgate taken on tour of his home town Crawley in aid of St Catherine's Hospice | Come and meet the Crawley Observer team in County Mall on Thursday - and here are the offers currently on at the shopping centre

Works completed so far on the DHN include:

- Site set up including conversion of an area of the Town Hall multi-storey car park to welfare facilities and site office, erection of site hoarding, and connection of temporary water and electricity to the site

- Ground works including the digging of all trenches to contain all power and data cables

- Creation of the foundations and concrete bases for the new substation and DHN building frame

- Construction and fit out of the control room for the DHN

- Completion of DHN trenching and pipework to John Brackpool Close and Geraint Thomas House, ensuring future connection to the DHN

- Installation of a new substation to provide the power for the DHN

-Starting construction of the DHN superstructure (steel building frame) which coincided with the completion of the incoming services to site.

The next phase will see the new substation coming online, the roof structure being built and the erection of the building flues.

Councillor Gurinder Jhans, Cabinet member for Environmental Services and Sustainability at Crawley Borough Council, said: “It is fantastic that we have now reached the halfway milestone of this exciting project despite the pandemic.

“In compliance with the council’s local plan, the DHN will help significantly reduce energy and carbon emissions for both the council and the residents and businesses connecting to it. It is another step towards us becoming carbon neutral.”