Work to reduce carbon emissions across Peterborough is continuing at pace as part of a collaborative project, which has received a further funding boost.
Back in 2024 Peterborough City Council was awarded £2.75m funding from Innovate UK to lead the Peterborough Accelerated Net Zero (PANZ) scheme, joining the Net Zero Living Pathfinders programme as one of the seven projects to receive the highest level of funding as Demonstrator projects.
As part of the PANZ project, the council is actively working with communities and partners including PECT, edenseven, Nordic Energy, Energy Systems Catapult and Cambridgeshire County Council to develop a series of energy projects that will benefit residents, businesses and community groups alike for years to come.
The scheme was recently boosted by £150,000 in funding from Innovate UK as part of their Net Zero Living Scale and Embed programme. This donation will help officers to assemble viable energy projects into a financial investment portfolio to seek private finance to bring forward energy projects.
Councillor Angus Ellis, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “I am delighted that the PANZ project is continuing to make positive progress, tying in with council’s key aims of reducing carbon emissions. This is a long-term project which can be accelerated by bringing in private investment to turn ideas for energy schemes into reality. The fact that we have already secured substantial funding is testament to the dedicated efforts of everyone involved and means we can continue to move forward at pace.
“With the backing of Innovate UK and our partners we are translating decarbonisation ambitions into credible investment opportunities. The goal is not just to unlock investment in one place, but to create a replicable model that local authorities across the UK can adopt.”
The PANZ scheme is a key part of the council’s ongoing work to deliver carbon reductions, driving healthier lives, save money and develop our green skills market.
Peterborough was one of the first cities in the UK to adopt a Local Area Energy Plan which set out the pathway to reach net zero. It considered the current and future energy demands of heating, electricity and transport to predict what is likely to be required across low carbon heating, electricity network capacity and electricity generation.