Belfast’s Heat Highway: A No-Regret Energy Investment for Generations

Belfast’s Heat Highway: A No-Regret Energy Investment for Generations

Belfast stands at a crossroads in its energy future. With nearly half of Northern Ireland’s households in fuel poverty and 68% still dependent on oil heating, the city urgently needs a clean, affordable alternative. The latest Raven-i explores how a Belfast Heat Highway, a long-range network transporting waste and renewable heat to local communities could transform the region’s energy system.
By capturing industrial and data-centre waste heat, integrating geothermal and renewable energy, and connecting to urban heat networks, the Heat Highway would cut costs, reduce emissions, and end dependence on imported fossil fuels.
 
This approach has real-world precedent: Dublin’s Tallaght District Heating Network already saves over 1,200 tonnes of CO₂ annually by reusing waste heat. For Belfast, a similar strategy could support hospitals, universities, and homes while honouring the city’s proud engineering heritage.
 
Beyond technical benefits, the concept champions community ownership, ensuring that profits are reinvested locally and households gain long-term energy security.
 
Belfast can either lock in decades of new fossil fuel dependence or invest in generational infrastructure that delivers clean heat, street by street.

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