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Three firms shortlisted for controversial £1bn joint energy venture
Bristol’s mayor has named the three companies in the running to work with the council on a controversial £1billion project to decarbonise the city’s energy system.
Called City Leap, the ambitious project aims to turn Bristol into a “zero-carbon, smart energy city” by 2030.
Ameresco, Engie and E.on – all major players in the international energy sector – are now jostling for pole position to become Bristol City Council’s joint-venture partner in the scheme.
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The successful organisation will support delivery of £1bn of investment on a range of projects, including low-carbon heat networks, renewable energy from wind, and solar, as well as energy efficiency, electric vehicles and smart energy systems, a council spokesperson said.
Marvin Rees announced the finalists on Wednesday, November 25, more than four years after the bidding process began, calling the news “incredibly exciting”.
City Leap will help Bristol become more sustainable. Photo: Joab Smith
It follows the dismantling and disposal of the council’s loss-making energy company, Bristol Energy, which the City Leap project was previously harnessed to.
The project has been criticised by opposition councillors as carrying potential financial risks but the council’s ruling Labour administration maintains it is a good investment for residents that will boost the economy and jobs and help meet climate emergency targets.
The council put out a call for global energy players to invest up to £1billion in the city’s energy infrastructure in May 2018.
It received more than 180 expressions of interest.
The bill to taxpayers for the procurement process is expected to reach £6.5m by the time the contract is awarded next year.
Announcing the three finalists in a press briefing, Rees said: “(City Leap) is the first of its kind in the UK, possibly the world, in which we take a holistic city view of our relationship to energy from the generation, distribution, storage and usage.
“We are down to Ameresco, Engie and E.on. So major companies have come forward with their consortiums to partner with us on City Leap which is incredibly exciting for the city’s relationship to energy.
“Decarbonising our energy would be a central part of making sure that Bristol does not make a disproportionate contribution to the destruction of the planet.”
Mayor Marvin Rees announced that the final contenders for City Leap are Ameresco, Engie and E.on. Photo: CB Bristol Design
The shortlisted organisations and consortiums are:
- Ameresco Limited, with Vattenfall Heat UK Limited as an essential sub-contractor.
- ENGIE Services Holding UK Ltd and Sumitomo Corporation (acting as a consortium), with Abundance Investment Ltd as an essential sub-contractor.
- E.ON UK PLC and Marubeni Corporation (acting as a consortium).
US-based firm Ameresco describes itself as a “leading renewable energy company and energy efficiency company”. Engie, which also describes itself as a “leading” energy and services company, is based in the UK and has already been contracted by South Somerset District Council to develop a net zero carbon roadmap. E.on is an international, privately owned energy supplier based in Germany.
Amanda Cameron is a local democracy reporter for Bristol.
Main photo: Josh Rundle
Read more: Concerns over £1bn City Leap project as procurement process goes back to drawing board
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