Could super-sized heat pumps make gas boilers extinct?

As Europe tries to wean itself off Russian gas, the war in Ukraine has forced a rethink of where we get our energy from. Is it possible that large heat pumps could help to heat thousands of homes and businesses? The hope is that the two schemes will provide a cheaper and cleaner source of warmth.

Jim Gillon says that coal mining was massive in the North East.

There are six different mine workings beneath our feet.

Jim is the Energy Services Manager for Gateshead Council and he is giving this former fossil fuel site a green makeover for an ambitious new heating scheme.

He points to a hole that is 150m deep. It is flooded with water like many other old coal mines. The water is naturally warm at 15C.

A giant heat pump has been installed.

It is a clever bit of engineering. In the same way that warmth can be transferred from one person to another when they shake hands, the warmth from the mine water can be transferred into another liquid in the heat pump system.

The temperature is boosted to 80C when the liquid is squeezed and squeezed.

The heat is sent out through pipes to buildings in the area. The process can begin again if the mine water is sent back underground.

The heat pumps that people install in their homes work the same way. They take some warmth from the air or the ground, and then increase the temperature to provide heat for that one household.

The heat pump in Gateshead is so large that it can provide heat for the equivalent of 5,000 homes.

The heat exchanger buildings are connected to the green district heating scheme.

They shift the heat that comes from the heat pumps to the water in the pipes, to be used in kitchens and bathroom.

It was installed in her home about five years ago.

She says that it took a lot of work to put in the new system, but she is happy with the end result.

I think my whole flat is much warmer than it used to be. She says that the cost is much cheaper.

Consumers are concerned about energy bills.

The war in Ukraine is pushing gas prices to record highs as uncertainty grows over Europe's supply of gas that comes from Russia.

The search is on for alternative sources of energy. Lewis thinks green district heating schemes could help.

He says that they fundamentally change the landscape.

We get off natural gas. It also means our energy prices are no longer tied to the volatile international gas market.

EON has a heat pump in the heart of London.

The Port of London Authority building has a hidden plant. It has provided energy using coal, oil and gas over the years.

It will be possible to supply a renewable source of heat by tapping into the warm water beneath the city.

Leke Oluwole, general manager at Citigen, says that heat pumps are low carbon because they are driven primarily by electricity.

The scheme provides green heating to a lot of buildings.

Rather than having 1,000 homes to decarbonise, you have one central location to decarbonise, which will help with the net zero goals that we have in the UK.

According to the government's Heat and Building's Strategy, heating the UK's 30 million buildings contributes 25% of our greenhouse gas emissions.

If we are going to tackle climate change, then we need to fundamentally rethink the way we heat our buildings, says Dr Loveridge.

Installation of individual heat pumps will be required for many homes. 600,000 will be installed every year by the government.

Green network heating schemes are more suitable in places where housing is more dense.

District heating systems in the UK only account for 2% of our heating at the moment, according to Dr Loveridge.

If we are going to reach our net zero emissions by 2050, we probably need to increase that to 18%.

Green district heating is an essential feature of our future heating mix.

She says that the schemes are not limited to places where there are flooded mines or underground water.

She says that wherever you can access the ground for the ground source heat will work.

There are surface water bodies that can be made to work. Sea water has been used to feed heating systems.

It is applicable in a lot of places, but not everywhere.

The huge heat pumps in London and Gateshead will soon be switched on, and the warmth generated will start to flow into local homes and businesses.

These schemes are just the beginning. If the UK is going to meet its climate change targets, there will be many more needed.