Agenda and minutes

Apologies for inability to attend were reported from the Chairperson, Councillor Lyons, and Alderman Copeland.

            The minutes of the meeting of 14th May were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st June.

No declarations of interest were recorded.

            The Committee was advised that the following items (5 and 6) had been withdrawn from the agenda:

·       Request to present at a future meeting - UK100

·       Tree planting / 1 Million trees - Councillor Lyons to raise

            The Deputy Chairperson welcomed Mr. S. Kerr to the meeting.

He set out the case for heat networks as a key part of a more secure, flexible and de-carbonised energy system. He described a heat network as a system of pipes which transported heat from locations where it was readily available to where it was needed.  A major advantage was that a network could use a wide range of current and future heat sources rather than relying on a single fuel.

He outlined that energy systems remained vulnerable when they depended heavily on particular fuels or sources, and that greater diversification was required.  He highlighted previous periods of energy insecurity, including post-war coal rationing, the oil crises of the 1970s, the energy disruption associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the recent Strait of Hormuz crisis.

The Committee was advised that heat networks could help balance electricity demand. Strategically sized thermal storage would allow heat to be produced when electricity was plentiful or inexpensive and stored for later use. During periods of high electricity prices or constrained supply, heat generation could be reduced and the stored heat released.

He highlighted to the Members that significant amounts of usable heat were currently being wasted. He illustrated the potential for a Belfast heat transmission network to connect multiple sources of heat with areas of demand.  He suggested potential sources including power generation, waste-to-energy, wastewater treatment, industrial processes which could potentially provide heat for around 100,000 homes.  He also highlighted the potential of Northern Ireland's geothermal resource.

The Members were advised to look towards future heat opportunities, including industrial clusters, agricultural and biogas CHP, biochar production and data centres. He illustrated how heat that would otherwise be rejected could become a useful resource within a local energy system.

He demonstrated that the approach was already being used in Denmark, where the Triangle Region Heat Transmission Company (TVIS) operated a 123km heat transmission system, connecting heat suppliers with nine district heating companies and supplying more than 60,000 consumers. The model demonstrated how industrial clustering and sector integration enabled low-cost waste heat to be shared across a wider area. He also highlighted Shetland Heat Energy and Power, with around 1,300 homes already connected, and Lothian Heat, established in 2025, with plans to connect more than 100,000 homes by 2031.

Overall, he stated that heat networks could address the energy “trilemma” of security, affordability and de-carbonisation simultaneously. Using multiple heat sources reduced dependence on any single fuel; thermal storage allowed the cheapest available heat to be used at the most appropriate time; and the network could maximise renewable energy while capturing heat which would otherwise be wasted by industry.

He highlighted that the transition to net zero should not simply focus on producing more energy, but on making better use of energy which was currently being wasted.

            During discussion, he provided the Committee with details of the East Lothian and Tallaght schemes.       

            In response to a Member’s question as to what pitfalls Belfast should be wary  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Deputy Chairperson welcomed Mr. P. Doyle to the meeting.

The Local Energy Systems Advisor advised the Committee that Reverve had recently won the mini “hackathon” which the Council had held to explore how innovators in the market could deliver and improve the commercial viability of a heat network in Belfast.

Mr. Doyle outlined Reverve’s proposal to help decarbonise Belfast’s district heat network by using renewable electricity which would otherwise be curtailed.  He advised the Committee that Northern Ireland currently produced more wind energy than the electricity grid could accommodate, with around 25% of wind generation being curtailed. Reverve’s proposition was to capture the surplus electricity, store it in batteries and use it to power heat pumps, providing a low-carbon source of heat for the City.

Reverve proposed creating a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) made up of hundreds of distributed sites across Northern Ireland. The sites would have solar panels and battery storage. The system would use curtailed wind as the main source of electricity during winter, with solar providing a greater contribution during summer. Batteries would allow renewable electricity to be stored when it was available and dispatched when required.

He described how the proposed system was designed to provide around 67 GWh of zero-carbon heat per year, using approximately 500 participating sites. Electricity would be converted into heat through air-to-water heat pumps and supplied to Belfast’s district heat network. Reverve’s objective was for this electricity to be supplied under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) at a price competitive with natural gas, while also providing greater long-term price stability.

The Committee was advised that participating commercial and public buildings would also benefit from the model.  Reverve proposed to install additional solar generation and battery storage, with the aim of significantly reducing electricity costs. He stated that generating sites could reduce their power costs by up to 90%, with core assets paid off within five years and additional generation and storage provided at zero net cost to the customer. In return, participating sites would make surplus electricity available to the heat network and other off-takers at a 40% discount.

He outlined a particular opportunity for social housing, whereby tenants could achieve around a 40% reduction in winter heating costs through access to cheaper, battery-shifted renewable electricity.

The Committee was advised that the commercial model would depend heavily on a long-term commitment from Belfast City Council and other off-takers.  Reverve proposed a multi-year PPA under which the Council would purchase around 67 GWh of renewable electricity each year for the heat network. The intention being that the long-term commitment would unlock the investment required to develop the wider system.

The longer-term vision was for Belfast to develop a city-wide energy network.  Buildings could generate and store electricity, receive heat, or potentially do both. The model could expand gradually to include Housing Executive estates, council buildings, schools, leisure centres, GP practices and commercial or industrial sites, allowing Belfast to build the network incrementally rather than relying on one large centralised system.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The Food Systems Coordinator presented the following report to the Committee:

1.0           Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       To present the Draft Belfast Sustainable Food Strategy – The Belfast Way, Action Plans and Communications Plan to SPR for consideration.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Climate and City Resilience Committee is asked to:

                                          i.         note that the draft Belfast Sustainable Food Strategy was co-designed by the Belfast Food Partnership (BFP), a cross-sectoral group of 29 partners working together to improve the food system and informed by significant engagement and good practice research.

                                         ii.         consider and approve, in principle, the direction and focus of the draft ‘Belfast Sustainable Food Strategy: The Belfast Way’ (as attached at Appendix 1).

                                       iii.         note that whilst some of the action plan can commence within existing budget provision, further proactive work is underway to secure external funding that will support delivery of the multi-year Strategy.

                                       iv.         agree that council officials will continue to work on the two expressions of interest for significant funding as referred to in this report as well as other funding opportunities.

                                         v.         note that updates will be brought back to Committee for consideration, with final approval of the budget allocation being sought from SP&R Committee.

3.0       Main Report

            Background

3.1       In 2023 the Sustainable Food Partnership was re-established in Belfast under the auspices of the Community Planning Partnership and in recognition of the growing pressures facing by many individuals and families in accessing affordable and healthy food. The Belfast Food Partnership, as it is now called, is hosted by the Climate Team through a full-time Food Systems Coordinator.

3.2       The Belfast Food Partnership (BFP) is part of the UK wide Sustainable Food Places (SFP) initiative, a network that brings together pioneering food partnerships across the UK who are driving innovation and best practice on all aspects of healthy and sustainable food. It is led by the Soil Association, Food Matters and Sustain. As well as offering support and coordination on NI and UK wide food challenges, the SFP runs an awards system designed to recognise and celebrate the success of those places taking a joined up, holistic approach to food and that are achieving significant positive change on a range of key food issues. The Belfast Food Partnership was awarded the Bronze Sustainable Food Places Award for Belfast in 2024.

3.3       The BFP is currently made up of 29 partners across Belfast working to improve food systems. It is co-chaired by two partners and coordinated by the Council’s Food Systems Coordinator (within the Climate team). The BFP works across sectors and is driven by the following values, developed collaboratively over the past two years:

§    Systems Driven

§    Food Justice

§    Circular and Regenerative

§    Resilience

§    Place-based and sustainable

§    Participatory and asset based

§    Community wealth building

3.4       Aligning with these values, a draft “The Belfast Way - Sustainable Food Strategy” has been co-designed with 6 underpinning action plans, which it is proposed will be delivered through 6 cross-sectoral working  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

After discussion, the Committee agreed:

·         to keep the “New Ireland Forum and Citizens Assemblies” issue open, and to write to the Taoiseach’s office one final time, outlining that the Council had written twice before with no response; and

·         that the “Climate and City Resilience Dashboard” issue would be closed, given that the dashboard was now available on Interlink.

The Committee considered the draft response, available here.

            After discussion, the Committee:

i.                agreed, subject to the following amendments suggested by Members, that it be submitted to the Department for Communities in line with the closing date of 19th August 2026;

a.     regarding the eligibility thresholds, to tick “no” and outline that, while the Council would be supportive on many of the proposals set out, including the exclusion of certain disability and health benefits from the income threshold, it was important to recognise the nuances around adopting a whole-house approach to any such income thresholds in terms of outgoing financial requirements and therefore available income; and

b.     that landlords should have to contribute 20-25% of the cost for properties availing of the scheme, with protections considered for existing tenants in any properties which were upgraded under the scheme, in order to prevent landlords increasing the rent as a result of said upgrades; and

ii.              noted that the Council’s response would be submitted on the basis that it would remain subject to full Council ratification on 1st September, with any further comments submitted at that point.

Chairperson