Three city venues – Ice Sheffield, English Institute of Sport Sheffield and Utilita Arena Sheffield – receive locally produced heat from Blackburn Meadows district heating network, in multi-year renewal.

Three of Sheffield’s best-known sporting and live entertainment venues – home to Gladiators, Team GB athletes and the Sheffield Steelers – have renewed their partnership with E.ON for reliable, local, low-cost, low-carbon heat from the Blackburn Meadows district heating network.

The multi-year agreements cover Ice Sheffield, the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, and Utilita Arena Sheffield1 ; venues that welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and play a vital role in supporting the city's sporting and cultural life.

Together, the venues use around 4,400 MWh of heat each year – the equivalent heat needs of more than 460 UK homes2 – with Blackburn Meadows providing the heating and hot water needed to support everything from elite sports training and community activities to major live events.

The renewed agreements demonstrate the long-term value E.ON and Blackburn Meadows continue to deliver to customers and Sheffield alike as reliable heat, a low-price guarantee and significant carbon savings through a locally generated energy source. Instead of relying solely on individual gas boilers, the venues use heat generated at E.ON’s Blackburn Meadows renewable energy plant.

Vijay Tank, Chief Commercial Officer for E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, said: “Blackburn Meadows is a strong example of how local energy infrastructure can deliver practical benefits for a city. For many years, the plant has supplied affordable, reliable and cleaner energy to some of Sheffield’s best-known venues and businesses. These renewed agreements allow us to continue supporting those organisations and the communities they serve.

“By connecting local customers, reusing local resources and investing in the city’s energy infrastructure, we can help Sheffield build a more affordable, resilient and sustainable future, making new energy work for everyone.”

The agreements build on the important role Blackburn Meadows already plays in Sheffield as a trusted heat source. The existing eight-kilometre network supplies nine buildings across the Lower Don Valley, providing cleaner, more affordable heat and supporting the city’s shift to a smart, decentralised energy system.

The renewed agreements reflect growing confidence in district heating as a practical solution for organisations seeking lower-cost, reliable energy supplies while supporting long-term sustainability ambitions. E.ON is working with cities and businesses to make new energy work in practice: delivering practical, low-carbon energy solutions for cities and businesses to help Sheffield reduce carbon, strengthen resilience and support local businesses and communities.

Lorenzo Clark, partnership manager at Everyone Active which runs Ice Sheffield and other venues, said: “Ice Sheffield and English Institute of Sport Sheffield are major community and elite sports venues, vital to the training of national athletes and community alike.

“As a large energy consumer, being able to reduce carbon emissions across our facilities whilst relying on dependable heating and hot water are fundamental to our day-to-day operations. Reducing what we spend on energy allows us to maintain world class facilities for athletes such as Team GB boxer Teagn Stott, professional ice hockey player Liam Kirk, British Para table tennis player Fliss Pickard and badminton Paralympics GB star Jack Shephard.

"Renewing our agreement secures a consistent local heat supply with a carbon footprint less than 10% of natural gas, helping reduce the facilities' environmental impact."

Dom Stokes, General Manager of Utilita Arena Sheffield, added: “We’re delighted to be extending our agreement and continuing to benefit from a reliable, lower-carbon heat network at Utilita Arena Sheffield. As one of three venues connected to the network, we’re proud to play our part in supporting Sheffield’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions. This is a great example of how venues can lower their environmental impact while continuing to deliver for fans and artists.”

Notes to editors

1 Ice Sheffield and English Institute of Sport Sheffield are operated by Everyone Active; Utilita Arena Sheffield is operated by Legends Global. Sheffield City Council is the landlord for all three sites.

2 Based on 10301kWh average heat consumption per year: Review of typical domestic consumption values

Tags

More Like This

Forging a greener future for Sheffield: E.ON’s Blackburn Meadows marks 10 years with ambitious plans for the next decade

Electricity and Water DO mix: E.ON and Yorkshire Water explore energy collaboration in Sheffield

New agreement forged to channel low carbon heat to homes and businesses in the Steel City

Warmer homes, better lives: E.ON showcases how lives are being improved by innovation

Princess Royal visits E.ON’s Blackburn Meadows Renewable Energy Plant

E.ON and Barking and Dagenham set out ambition to make energy more affordable for 3,500 families across the borough

AEG Signs First-Of-Its-Kind Renewable Energy Agreement To Power UK Venues

Six towns and cities to pilot clean heating innovation