Camden Lock District Heating Network

The full installation comprised of 5 primary district heating networks and 2 cooling networks which were made of Logstor series 2 steel pipework.  Due to the complexity of the project we also used a broader range of Logstor products, utilising ALU-PEX Twin, Steelflex, Pex, Twin and Steel Pipework, integrating the different elements into an optimised network.

One of the main challenges our team were presented with came from the site’s proximity to live rail lines.  Due to this, representatives from Network Rail were on-site on a watching brief and constantly measuring any movement within the railway arches, which will later be converted into retail spaces.  Network rail also imposed certain restrictions on the installations, which included maximum trench depths and dictated a maximum 12m of open trench before the need to backfill.

Ideally, we would opt for a 72m trench which would allow for one full day’s continuous welding and deliver maximum progress.   Normally, this type of trench size restriction would have an impact on the delivery schedule, but because of our large pool of in house operatives we were able to allocate a full-time welding and jointing team who could install as the trenches were made available to us.

On many developments, the district heating is one of the first things installed, but on the Camden Lock Village Development buildings were already under construction and out of the ground before any of the underground services installation began.   This contributed to the congested nature of the site and saw the need for us to store all district heating pipework off site, where it could be delivered within the hour, as needed.  Additionally, the swing radius of the crane was limited to 2.5m from the railway which saw the need to drop the DH in this area and then transport it into the final position.   Normally, we install district heating in 12m lengths, but on this project we used 6m long lengths which could be more easily transported more easily around the site.

One of the issues which can arise on sites of this type are clashes with other services. To overcome these we held onsite co-ordination and daily district heating meetings.  This aimed to avoid clashes where possible and create solutions where not.  Some of the clashes involved oil lines and oil cooled power cables which had a 1m restriction zone around, so the on-site team would create small variations to the route to ensure the installation was installed safely, while performing optimally.

Despite facing numerous challenges, we were able to work closely with the Client and their professional team to deliver the 1,000m or district heating and 200m of district cooling to connect three residential blocks and 31 retail arches, making this another successful decentralised energy project in the London Borough of Camden.