Combined heat-and-power implementation in the UK: Past, present and prospective developments

The world is insufficiently concerned with ensuring its long-term energy supplies. For instance, a severe reduction of the availability of cheap fossil fuels is likely to occur in the mid twenty-first century. However, there are several steps that could be taken in the UK to ensure the sustainability of adequate power supplies (e.g. a Severn Barrage tidal-power harnessing system capable of satisfying 8% of the electricity needs of the UK; a national campaign for the implementation, where economic, of combined heat-and-power (CHP) installations). The implementation of CHP technology is, even now, frequently an economically justifiable option which is capable of providing highly efficient, environmentally friendlier electricity and heat supplies. A variety of fuels, including oil, coal, natural gas, refuse, sewage, nuclear power and renewables, can be used as the energy source. Despite being thermodynamically attractive, the pace of adoption of CHP in the UK has been disappointingly slow. An historical record of the evolution of CHP as well as community (district) heating (DH) in the UK is presented. Recent developments and a possible future scenario for energy supplies, affecting the rate of adoption of CHP-DH systems in the UK, are outlined.