Fianna Fáil TD for Louth Erin McGreehan has welcomed €5 million from the Climate Action Fund for nine district heating projects.

The Fianna Fáil initiative is part of a wider investment in decarbonising how we heat our homes and buildings.

McGreehan said: “This is a hugely important pilot project. I’ve been advocating for this investment for a number of years. District heating will help decarbonise both new developments and existing buildings.

“I’m particularly pleased that Dundalk is one of the locations of the nine projects.

“Quite simply, instead of every home or business having its own individual heating system, district heating is where heat is produced centrally and then distributed through a network of insulated underground pipes.

“That heat can come from sources such as waste heat from industry, heat pumps and other renewable or low-carbon sources. The heated water is then circulated through the network to provide heating and hot water to connected homes and businesses.”

The funding will help with the pre-construction stage — things like identifying suitable heat sources, designing the pipe network, carrying out feasibility work and developing the projects to the point where they can progress towards construction and future capital investment.

The projects could potentially provide heat equivalent to more than 25,000 homes once constructed.

“This is practical decarbonisation: investing now in the infrastructure, skills and projects we need to reduce fossil-fuel use in heating,” she added.

For further information, reach out to Erin McGreehan.

ENDS