Bevan Brittan advises council-owned company on appointment of contractors for energy centre
Law firm Bevan Brittan has advised council-owned company B&D Energy on the appointment of specialist contractors for the development of a low carbon energy centre which will provide energy to thousands of homes in East London.
B&D Energy, which was set up by Barking and Dagenham Council as part of its bid to be the ‘green capital of the capital’, has appointed mechanical, electrical and construction specialists Ameresco to work on the development of the Barking Energy Centre.
Work is expected to begin before the end of the year. When it comes onstream, the centre is expected to support energy security, inward investment and localised expansion of the Barking heat network.
Nathan Bradberry, partner and head of Bevan Brittan’s energy and resource management team, said the contract was a key stepping stone for B&D Energy’s successful delivery of a borough-wide heat network
Bradberry added that the project could also provide a model for other local authorities to follow and help them make significant strides towards addressing their net zero strategies and climate emergency declarations.
He said: “We see a project like this as a future enabler and a potential blueprint for equivalent projects to provide low carbon heat. The Energy Centre is technology agnostic so it can be adapted to incorporate even lower carbon forms of energy as they are developed and become available, helping to deliver both lower cost and lower carbon energy for thousands of people and help us on the journey to net zero.”
“We are delighted to have been able to help move this strategically important project forward and look forward to working with B&D Energy as the project, and their heat network, develops further. The uncertain cost of construction materials was an issue we had to work around but we managed it and it will be exciting to watch this energy centre come to fruition.”
Paul Newton, General Manager for B&D Energy, said: “This contract award marks a significant step for B&D Energy and enables the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to practically reduce the use of carbon in the future, with the functionality included within the agreement to allow for future development.”
Plans for the decentralised energy centre, designed by architects Alma-nac, were approved by the council in April.
The development will see two adjoining buildings and two external heat storage vessels built on a site next to the A124.
The Energy Centre is expected to supply low carbon energy to around 10,000 homes in Barking from the end of 2023.
The team from Bevan Brittan also included regulatory partner Fran Musselwhite, senior associate and corporate law expert Andrew Spicer and energy solicitor Carrie Davies.