The new tower will generate low-carbon heat and power for the city.
Now joining Manchester’s skyline as the newest addition, the new 40m Tower of Light is nearing completion, with the final sections being added just days ago overnight. Helping Manchester to reach its ambition of becoming zero-carbon by 2038, the new tower will serve seven Manchester buildings initially, providing heat and electricity to Manchester Town Hall and Town Hall Extension, Central Library, Manchester Central Convention Centre, The Bridgewater Hall, Heron House and the Manchester Art Gallery.
The flue tower promises to “capture the energy of the sun”, “harness the power of the wind” and “herald the city’s low carbon future”, making up part of the Civic Quarter Heat Network project. The scheme is projected to save an initial 1,600 tonnes of carbon emissions per year and will become even more efficient as additional buildings are connected.
Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for the Environment, Planning and Transport, Councillor Angeliki Stogia, said: “The Tower of Light is an impressive new landmark for Manchester and a symbol of Manchester’s aim of becoming a zero-carbon city by 2038 at the latest.
“On completion, the Civic Quarter Heat Network project will realise significant carbon savings, supporting the council’s current plan to halve its own emissions by 2025 – which will be an important milestone on the road to the city meeting its ambitious goal.”
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’re delighted with how smoothly the installation went and we hope the people of Manchester will now enjoy it for many years.”
[Featured image: Tonkin Liu]