This new investment brings the total funding awarded to more than £380m.

Building on the £220m investment in low carbon heat network projects in 2024, four projects in Leeds, London, Maidstone, and Cranbrook have been funded by the GHNF to enhance local energy use.

In Leeds, SSE Energy Solutions have secured £19.5m of funding for the Aire Valley Heat and Power Network for the delivery of heating to a large industrial and commercial area of the city.

Nathan Sanders, managing director for distributed energy at the SSE said: "The Green Heat Network Fund allocated to Aire Valley will continue to help make our ambitions to develop a low-carbon network in West Yorkshire and Leeds a reality.

“This will explore ways of unlocking new and plentiful heat sources, helping West Yorkshire meet its ambitions of a net zero carbon region by 2038 and reduce energy bills for businesses and communities in Aire Valley”.

In Maidstone, Allington Energy Networks Ltd have received funding to develop a new heat network which will harness waste heat from a local energy recovery facility.

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East Devon District Council will receive £6.95m from the GHNF to help them expand the Cranbrook heat network.

Miatta Fahnbulleh, minister for energy consumers, said: “We know that heat networks will play a hugely important role in providing low carbon heating to millions of businesses and building owners, driving down energy bills.

“The Green Heat Network Fund is central to that, helping green innovative projects like these four fantastic schemes use waste heat and heat pumps to provide low emission heating and hot water.

“These projects not only push us on in our journey to reach net zero but also support our mission to secure Britain’s energy independence.”

The University of London will receive £7.2m worth of GHNF funding to upgrade the 80-year-old infrastructure by 2029, replacing the existing gas- and oil-fired systems with low carbon air source heat pumps.

Rita Akushie, pro vice-chancellor finance and operations, said: “Decarbonisation is essential if we are to tackle the climate emergency, so I am delighted that the University of London is a partner in the combined heating and power network scheme.”