The city of Boston, Massachusetts, is looking to tap into the nearby Charles River in order to generate a low-carbon and low-cost heat source.
As reported by Canary Media, Boston’s historic steam heating network is undergoing a major transformation by Vicinity Energy. The company is in the process of replacing gas with electric boilers and large-scale heat pumps that draw warmth from the Charles River. The appliances will heat millions of square feet of the city’s buildings.
The project is looking to significantly cut down on air pollution in the city and create a model for urban decarbonization that uses existing infrastructure.
“That project was greenlit this summertime,” Vicinity Energy CEO Kevin Hagerty told Canary Media. “We’re anticipating that being completed midway through 2028. We’ll turn the heat pump on and turn the Charles River into a renewable energy resource.”
JacobCoffinWrites@slrpnk.net 2 days ago
This is very cool and I like that it uses a lot of existing infrastructure (maintaining the existing steam tunnels etc, just changing out the heat source).
I’m curious if this will have any effect on the river good or bad - I’ve read articles about how outflows from human communities can warm nearby water bodies. Curious if this will have a similar impact or could reduce the harm or if it won’t make any real difference