Final parts added to Tower of Light

The last sections of the 40m Tower of Light have been installed, as Manchester City Council and its partners near completion of the most visual part of its Civic Quarter Heat Network project.

This stage of installation at the Tonkin Liu-designed tower involved the addition of nine “drum” sections, each measuring 4m wide, 6m long and 4m tall, plus a 1.8m crown section.

Once the Civic Quarter Heat Network project is complete, the Tower of Light will act as the chimney for the low-carbon energy centre. The network is intended to play a central part in Manchester reaching its ambition of becoming zero-carbon by 2038.

The scheme is projected to save an initial 1,600 tonnes of carbon emissions per year and the energy centre will become more efficient as additional buildings are connected.

The facility will initially serve seven central buildings: Manchester Town Hall and Town Hall Extension, Central Library, Manchester Central Convention Centre, The Bridgewater Hall, Heron House and the Manchester Art Gallery.

Containing a 3.3MWe CHP engine and two 12MW gas boilers, the energy centre will generate electricity and harness the recovered heat from this process for distribution via a 2km district heating network, which will supply heat for the buildings.

The scheme has been partly funded by a £2.87m grant from the Government’s Heat Network Investment Project.

Work on the CQHN project is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2020.

Anthony Shawcross, senior construction manager for Vital Energi, said; “This project is much more intricate than a standard flue due to its complex geometry but will hopefully become an iconic part of Manchester’s skyline. We hope the people of Manchester will now enjoy it for many years.”