Colloide

Colloide provides a wide range of services to the heat network sector, including design, build, installation and commissioning of district heating and cooling networks and energy centres. Our services cover:

• District Heat Networks: We specialise in the design and build of district heating systems with centralised energy centres, insulated pipework flow and return loops, thermal stores, heat exchangers, control systems, and local substations. These networks are designed for optimal energy efficiency and can connect to diverse building types such as flats, schools, offices, and universities.

• Energy Centres: Colloide integrates multiple energy sources, including gas CHP, water-source heat pumps, and biomass, into central energy centres that provide cost-efficient and sustainable heating solutions for connected buildings.

• Seamless Integration of Systems:As process engineers, we are skilled in integrating renewable energy solutions, such as waste heat recovery systems, river-source heat pumps, and solar farms, into heat networks.

• Project Management: We manage the full project lifecycle, from RIBA Stage 3/4 designs through to construction and commissioning, ensuring compliance, stakeholder engagement, and efficient delivery.

• M&E Capabilities: Colloide engineers deliver advanced mechanical and electrical systems, optimising control and instrumentation while ensuring system performance, operational efficiency, and cost savings.

Experience:

Colloide were the principal design and build contractor on the Bunhill 2 Energy Centre Project, a world-first scheme where the heat from the underground train network is captured and utilised to heat a further 550  homes and a primary school in Islington. The new energy centre uses state-of-the-art technology on the site of a disused Underground station that commuters have not seen for almost 100 years. The remains of the station, once known as City Road, have been transformed to house a new 500Kw ammonia heat pump driven by the heat recovery from a heat exchanger coil within a London underground shaft, recovering the warm air lost throughout the northern line tube. In addition, the two-metre fan, installed in an existing six-storey London Underground mid-tunnel ventilation shaft, can also be reversed to help with cooling the Tube tunnels in the summer months. The utilisation of two natural gas CHP units with a combined output of 700Kw and district heat pipework of 1800m’s allows a further 550 homes and a primary school to be connected to the existing Bunhill Heat and Power district heating network which was launched in 2012, with the potential to supply up to 2,200 homes. This project reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 500 tonnes each year and cuts heating bills for those connected by 10%.

The Viking Energy Network Jarrow is another notable project where Colloide, as South Tyneside Council’s Principal Contractor, aimed for carbon neutrality. This unique district heating system is a country first. Colloide designed and constructed an energy centre at Jarrow Staithes, strategically located on the south bank of the River Tyne. This state-of-the-art facility houses the water source heat pump, acting as the heart of the operation. The process involves extracting heat from the river, raising its temperature, and converting it into hot water. The hot water is then distributed to connected buildings through a network of buried district heating pipes, efficiently and effectively meeting their heating needs. The multi-million pound energy network will slash annual carbon emissions by an estimated 1,035 tonnes and saves approximately half a million pounds in fuel costs each year. This groundbreaking district heating system supplies hot water to 11 buildings, including high-rise flats, schools, and sheltered housing. The initiative received many nominations and awards including; Best Climate Action or Decarbonisation Initiative at the 2024 Association of Public Sector Excellence (APSE) Awards and Won in the Public Sector Project category at the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) 2024.