Riverside Dene District Heating Network - Newcastle City Council

The Challenge

Newcastle City Council required a competent and reliable contractor to take over the operation and maintenance of a live district heating network supplying approximately 550 residential properties. The system incorporates multiple heat generation sources and serves occupied homes, meaning continuity of heat and hot water was critical at all times.

In addition, the Council sought assurance that both the primary heat network infrastructure and the secondary, customer-side systems could be supported seamlessly, minimising interface risk and ensuring rapid response across the entire system.

Our Solution

Blue Leaf Energy was appointed to deliver full operational and maintenance services for the Riverside Dene district heating network.

Crucially, as Blue Leaf Energy was already delivering Newcastle City Council’s District & Public Buildings Standby Contract, we were in a unique position to provide true 360° coverage across both:

• Primary network assets (generation, plant, and distribution), and

• Secondary systems on the customer side, including heat interface and downstream issues affecting residents.

This integrated approach reduces fragmentation between contractors, improves fault resolution times, and provides the client with a single, accountable point of responsibility across the full heat supply chain.

Our scope includes:

• Planned and reactive maintenance of heat generation and distribution assets.

• Day-to-day operational management of the network to ensure safe, efficient performance.

• Fault diagnostics and responsive call-out support across both network and customer interfaces.

• Compliance with statutory, contractual, and health & safety requirements.

• Performance monitoring and structured reporting to support long-term asset reliability.

Funding & Support

The contract is delivered as part of Newcastle City Council’s wider housing and energy infrastructure programme. Blue Leaf Energy works collaboratively with the Council and associated stakeholders to support long-term asset performance, value for money, and resident service continuity.

The Results

• Successful mobilisation and transition into live network operations.

• Maintained reliability of heat and hot water supply across all connected properties.

• Reduced interface risk through integrated primary and secondary system coverage.

• Clear communication and reporting aligned with client expectations.

• Strong health & safety performance within an occupied residential environment.

Impact

The Riverside Dene contract demonstrates Blue Leaf Energy’s capability to operate and maintain large-scale, live district heating infrastructure, while also supporting customer-side systems through an integrated service model.

By providing end-to-end coverage across the entire network, Blue Leaf Energy helps Newcastle City Council safeguard essential services for residents, reduce operational risk, and maintain long-term performance of a critical energy asset.