Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management is delighted to announce that the heat investment platform BHIVE has been extended by two years to 31st March 2025. BHIVE is a PCR-compliant Dynamic Purchasing System (“DPS”) which allows public sector heat network owners/developers to access funding and commercialisation services for their district heating schemes.
Almost 20 experienced investors and lessors have been onboarded onto the DPS, with more expected to join following this extension. Lot 1: Equity Finance covers both financial investment and commercialisation services, and is aimed at public sector users who want to access active capital (i.e. investors with the right skillsets to commercialise and deliver a district heating scheme). Lot 2: provides access to Asset Finance products.
The unprecedented scale and momentum of the UK’s district heating market – supported by significant levels of public funding and helpful policy tailwinds – has meant the sector has never been more investable. With the UK’s ambitious and pioneering net zero targets, heat networks will play a huge role in decarbonising domestic energy consumption. The industry represents one of the biggest growth potentials for energy networks in Europe, and today’s announcement will help to further the expansion of heat networks across the country, enabling investment potential of up to £50 billion by 2050.
The BHIVE extension will contribute to creating a heat network industry that delivers and sustains green jobs, exports, and provides economic benefits whilst helping to promote the UK as one of the top global investment destinations. It will increase accessibility for funders, provide greater standardisation across the heat network market, offer flexibility to access a diverse range of skills and experience alongside funding, support the creation of a secondary investment market, and deliver value for money through a competitive process.
Announcement of this extension to the platform is further recognition by the UK Government of the importance of heat networks to decarbonise buildings. Alongside recent announcements of continued capital support for low carbon heat networks to 2028, including £220 million for the Heat Network Transformation Programme, the extension of BHIVE helps cement heat networks as a core focus for achieving net zero in the UK.
Richard Turner, Director of Amberside Advisors, said:
The UK district heating market is one of the most exciting infrastructure sectors for investors, combining huge untapped demand, strong ESG drivers and an incredibly supportive policy environment (with cross-party backing). The decision by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to extend BHIVE, a PCR compliant procurement platform that allows public sector users to access active private capital and lease finance for district heating schemes, is further evidence of the Government’s commitment to delivering transformation of the market.
Ken Hunnisett, Head of Public Sector at Triple Point Heat Network Investment Management, said:
The UK’s district heating market has never been more investable, and the dizzying momentum is showing no sign of letting up. If the Heat Network Industry Council’s prediction that £50bn of private capital might be required to fuel its growth seemed abstract when it was made, it looks less so today given the scale and ambition of projects actually being delivered in our towns and cities now, barely 12 months later. It’s breathless stuff and too exciting by half.
The BHIVE DPS is open to Contracting Authorities wanting to access funding and, where relevant, commercialisation services for their heat network projects to:
- finance a new heat network,
- finance the expansion of an existing heat network, or
- facilitate the sale of part, or all, of an investment in a mature heat network – for example, where a Contracting Authority wishes to sell its stake in an operational heat network. This could also be part of a wider refinancing of the project.
The BHIVE DPS is not limited to projects receiving funding from the Heat Network Investment Project (HNIP), Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) or from the Heat Network Delivery Unit (HNDU) – it is also open to Contracting Authorities who do not expect to receive any funding from these government schemes.
Notes to editors:
A DPS is a public sector sourcing tool for common goods and services under regulation 34 (Dynamic Purchasing Systems) of the PCR 2015. Providers can apply to join the DPS at any point and do not require any special IT equipment as a DPS eliminates unnecessary up-front activity for the bidder.
For more information about BHIVE, visit https://tp-heatnetworks.org/bhive/
For media enquiries contact comms@tp-heatnetworks.org
The BHIVE DPS is available to all Public Sector Bodies in England and Wales which are within the scope of the definition of “Contracting Authority” in regulation 2(1) of the PCR 2015 and/or Schedule 1 PCR 2015. This includes any of the following:
- Ministerial government departments;
- Non ministerial government departments;
- Executive agencies of government;
- Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), including advisory NDPBs, executive NDPBs, and tribunal NDPBs;
- Assembly Sponsored Public Bodies (ASPBs);
- Police forces;
- Fire and rescue services;
- Ambulance services;
- Maritime and coastguard agency services;
- NHS bodies;
- Educational bodies or establishments including state schools (nursery schools, primary schools, middle or high schools, secondary schools, special schools), academies, colleges, Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), further education colleges and universities;
- Hospices;
- National Parks;
- Housing associations, including registered social landlords;
- Third sector and charities;
- Citizens advice bodies;
- Councils, including county councils, district councils, county borough councils, community councils, London borough councils, unitary councils, metropolitan councils, parish councils;
- Public corporations;
- Public financial bodies or institutions;
- Public pension funds;
- Central banks; and
- Civil service bodies, including public sector buying organisations.
The full lists of eligible bodies can be found at: – Those listed and maintained by the Government on their website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations
The funding categories available under BHIVE are divided in to two Lots, as follows:
- Lot 1: Equity Finance – in addition to the provision of the funding itself, Contracting Authorities may also ask Funding Providers to provide a range of services which are ancillary to the funding – these are primarily commercialisation services i.e. services that relate to the development and finalisation of the commercial arrangements for the project, including any financing and the procurement and negotiation of contracts, including supply chain contracts and energy supply contracts
- Lot 2: Asset Finance
Any services procured under BHIVE must be ancillary to, and provided in conjunction with, the funding. BHIVE is not available for customers to procure supplies of works or services that are not funding-related, such as construction or operation and maintenance services, or standalone advisory services, such as financial advice or legal services.
