Citigen 4MW Heat Pump
Citigen 4MW Heat Pump

Citigen : the hidden energy network

The energy beneath the streets of London

The City of London is striving to build a sustainable future for the heart of this busy financial district, with an environmental target to create a greener city for everyone by reducing carbon emissions to zero.

The challenge is to supply cost efficient low carbon energy to a city that is continuously growing and has ever-increasing energy demands, for the 480,000 people that commute daily and the 8,000 that live there too. 

E.ON is meeting this challenge head on with Citigen.

Our hidden tri-generation power plant sits below the streets of London’s square mile. This low carbon decentralised energy network uses internal combustion engines to provide heating, power, and cooling to the city's homes and businesses.  

In addition, we're now commissioning a 4MW heat pump, this new technology will reduce carbon emissions by 30%, more on this exciting project below.

New technology for a carbon zero future

We’re really excited about the installation of our 4MW heat pump at Citigen, it's one of the UK’s largest low carbon heating and cooling systems. The heat pump is a massive 1,000 times larger than the average heat pump for a UK home, and it'll be working hard beneath the streets of London to help the capital meet its net zero targets. We're currently commissioning the heat pump ready for an imminent go live.

Let's break it down...

  • How it works

    Beneath the heart of London’s square mile, the 4MW heat pump will draw the natural warmth from the London Aquifer (on average 14°C), via 3 boreholes 200m below the surface, as well as recycling waste heat from power and chill generation, which would otherwise vent into the atmosphere.

  • Low carbon

    Citigen is the largest urban heating and cooling tri - generation plant in London's Square Mile. Producing low carbon electricity, heating and cooling for the equivalent of 11,300 homes or businesses.

  • A carbon zero future

    Adding the extra 4MW zero carbon heat pump will be equal to the demand of 2,300 UK homes or businesses. This is complemented by a further 2.8MW of new cooling capacity for customers across the business district.

  • Storage

    Citigen has a large thermal store with a capacity of 320,000 litres for hot water. This thermal store allows for flexibility of heat generation - peak shaving, allowing Citigen to use excess renewable energy on the grid to store heat.

Key Stats

One of the UK’s largest low carbon heating and cooling systems

Generating enough renewable energy for 13,600 UK homes and businesses

Reducing CO₂ emissions by around 30%

UKREiiF Winners Banner - E.ON Citigen Decarbonisation Project
UKREiiF Winners Banner - E.ON Citigen Decarbonisation Project

Winning for the City of London

At the UKREiiF (UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum) awards 2022, Citigen won the Infrastructure Project of the Year for our 4MW Heat Pump installation, one of the UK’s largest heating and cooling systems.

The project's winning strengths were: sustainability, lowering carbon emissions, embracing innovation and focusing on social value. Working collaboratively we've built a lasting legacy on the infrastructure sector, by decarbonising the City of London through the electrification of heat.

 

What is Citigen?

The network covers 10.5km of pipework, to provide heating and cooling to business and residential properties, from Smithfield Market to the Barbican Centre. With heating and cooling for the equivalent of 11,300 homes (before the installation of the 4MW heat pump). Citigen is a significant solution for the City of London’s environmental goals, and additional measures can be added to continue the journey to a Net Zero future.

Try our smart systems to help deliver office efficiencies for your business.

Working closely with E.ON we see their district energy system as a key part of the solution to our environmental strategy for the City of London

Andrew Crafter, City of London
Take a closer look at Citigen, Mains gas supply, CHP, Electricity supply, Electric chillers, Gas boilers, Thermal store, Heat Pumps, Boreholes, Aquifer, Heat exchanges, Cooling supply to customers, Heat supply to customers, Electivity supply to customers, Power export to electricity grid. London Underground and Thameslink run below Citigen.
Take a closer look at Citigen, Mains gas supply, CHP, Electricity supply, Electric chillers, Gas boilers, Thermal store, Heat Pumps, Boreholes, Aquifer, Heat exchanges, Cooling supply to customers, Heat supply to customers, Electivity supply to customers, Power export to electricity grid. London Underground and Thameslink run below Citigen.

Take a closer look at Citigen

Launch the virtual tour

Cooling the Capital

Catch up about the launch of the 4MW heat pump project that’s paving the way to decarbonising the City of London.

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