Realising Net-zero Liverpool

Liverpool faces complex, interconnected non-technical barriers to delivery of its transition to net-zero carbon energy. Led by Liverpool City Council (LCC), Phase Two will demonstrate an innovative systemic approach to dismantling these barriers, creating and demonstrating solutions that can be replicated across the city and the UK.

The project covers multiple energy **vectors**, **barriers**, and energy **end-use sectors**. This great breadth is counter-balanced and channelled through specific **Exemplar Projects** -- a set of location-specific interventions identified in Phase One -- in which barriers are illustrated, and solutions demonstrated.

Five sets of barriers are addressed across three energy vectors (power, heat, transport): 1) weak energy-end-user support; 2) inadequate economic models and investment case; 3) inadequate private/public capacity and skills to deliver city-wide; 4) a planning framework in need of change; and 5) scaling/ replication challenges ranging from inadequate supply chains to absent city-wide alignment.

For example, whether for domestic heat and power or for electrifying moored shipping or public transport, the design and operation of energy networks remains a major barrier: 1) end-users need to understand the benefits resulting from disrupting their everyday priorities; 2) the economic case must be clear; 3) delivery capacity needs to be sufficient; 4) planning must allow for interventions; and lastly 5) their design must be replicable for use elsewhere.

Two end-use sectors are in scope: 1) new residential and industrial development sites; and 2) domestic decarbonisation and retrofit. Exemplars include shore power (to replace heavy fuel oil use in moored shipping), ground-source heat from city parks to feed local heat networks, sheltered housing retrofit, city-centre listed buildings, leisure centre energy hubs, and a major new housing development.

Findings will feed into innovative net-zero tools, for comparison of individual interventions on a like-for-like basis, as well as at city-wide / regional level to enable planning at the macro scale. The ClimateOS software proposed has a world-wide reach and will enable Liverpool to compare approaches with other cities in the UK, Europe and the US.

The consortium comprises committed private, public and academic partners with the heft to deliver the Exemplars in a subsequent Phase Three. LCC is the key convenor and has a wide estate; Onward Homes owns over 6000 homes; SPEN owns and operates the local grid; Regent Capital is a locally active Asset Manager; and New Resource Partners and Decentralised Energy Solutions bring new net-zero software, completing an active partnership in place since 2020\.