Later this year the Bradford’s Energy Network will start delivering low carbon heat and hot water to buildings around the city, marking a major step toward a cleaner, more resilient energy future.  

At the heart of this is the Thornton Road Energy Centre – a state-of-the-art facility that will generate heat using the latest technology and deliver it to buildings through a network of underground insulated pipes. 

The Thornton Road Energy Centre actually sits on the site of Bradford’s former 19th-century gasworks. For generations, this location helped power the city through the industrial age. Today, it represents Bradford’s next chapter — moving from fossil fuels to modern, clean community-led heat infrastructure.

With construction progressing at pace the project is now moving closer to the exciting milestone of “Heat On” in Autumn 2026, which marks the moment when the Bradford Energy Network becomes fully operational.  

We’ve put together a sneak peek into what our team have been up to on site and how the Thornton Road Energy Centre will be working to deliver heat and hot water across the city. 

How will the Thornton Road Energy Centre heat the city? 

The Thornton Road Energy Centre is the engine that powers the entire heat network. 

Its role is to generate heat and distribute it through a network of insulated pipes that have already been installed beneath Bradford’s streets. Once the hot water reaches connected buildings, heat exchangers transfer that heat into the building’s existing heating and hot water systems. 

For customers this means that they no longer need to rely on individual gas-powered boilers, instead receiving consistent and reliable heat through their connection to a shared low-carbon heating system that uses up to 70% less carbon to heat their building.  

The energy centre brings together several pieces of equipment that work together to produce and deliver heat efficiently. At the heart of the energy centre are high-efficiency air source heat pumps, which capture heat from the air and upgrade it for use in buildings, supported by large thermal storage tanks that store heat for peak times and help balance supply and demand.

Pumps, pipework and pressurisation systems move heat across the network, while advanced control and monitoring technology ensures everything operates efficiently and safely in real time. Importantly, the energy centre has been designed to be future-ready, with the ability to connect to additional low-carbon heat sources over time, lowering emissions even further and helping Bradford continue its transition to cleaner energy.

Construction progress so far  

Construction of the Thornton Road Energy Centre began in October 2024 on a brownfield site forming part of the wider Thornton Road regeneration. Since then, work has progressed at pace, with the facility on track for completion in summer 2026. 

Following initial site preparation and enabling works, a major milestone was reached in February 2025 with the erection of the building’s steel frame. This was then enclosed using a carefully considered palette of timber-effect cladding, aluminium composite panels and exposed rooftop steelwork, creating a robust, contemporary structure that reflects Bradford’s industrial heritage. 

Once the building was made weather-tight, attention turned to the installation of the complex internal systems that will power the heat network. 

Inside the energy centre, key systems are now taking shape. The air source heat pumps — which will generate low-carbon heat for the network — have been installed, alongside back up gas boilers and distribution equipment that will move heat efficiently through the system. 

Work is also underway on the control and monitoring systems, the digital backbone of the energy centre, which will ensure every component operates seamlessly and efficiently as a single, integrated system. 

In the coming weeks, the project will reach another significant milestone. A large crane will be brought onto site to install some of the largest and most critical components, including the thermal storage tanks and the flue system.

The thermal storage tanks — large, insulated vessels — will play a vital role in balancing supply and demand by storing heat for use during peak periods, helping to ensure a consistent and reliable service for customers. 

Beyond the building itself, work will also enhance the surrounding environment. The site will be landscaped with mixed natural hedgerows, improving biodiversity and creating valuable green habitat within this city-centre location. 

What happens next? 

With construction progressing well, the energy centre is on track to be completed in Summer 2026, when the focus will shift to the final stages of preparing the network for operation in the Autumn.  

This is when the project enters a crucial phase known as whole-system commissioning. During this period, expert engineers will carefully test every part of the network; from the energy centre equipment and thermal storage systems, through to the buried pipe network, customer plant rooms, and building connections. 

Every component will be tested, adjusted and optimised so the system is ready to reliably serve customers from day one.  

This process ensures that everything is working as it should and heat can travel efficiently from the energy centre, through the network and into connected buildings. 

Looking ahead to Autumn 2026 

When Heat On arrives in Autumn 2026, Bradford will continue its long tradition of energy innovation and join a growing number of cities using heat networks to provide resilient, more efficient heating for the decades ahead. 

For Bradford’s residents it marks the beginning of a new era of low-carbon energy infrastructure, supporting cleaner air, economic growth and a more sustainable future – with the Thornton Road Energy Centre at its core. 

As the Energy Centre gets nearer to completion we’ll be keeping everyone updated on progress and official launch dates, so watch this space. 

If you’re interested to hear more about how connecting your building to the Bradford Energy Network could benefit your organisation, reach out to our team on bradford@1energy.uk