July 15 2025

The regeneration of Granton Waterfront is to be underpinned by a new energy centre to power ongoing commercial and residential development along the coast.

Key to unlocking the Net Zero goals, the energy centre will sit at the heart of a new district heating network that taps heat recovery from a large sewer running below the masterplan area.

Located close to Gasholder Park, the energy centre will be delivered concurrently with new housing on adjacent plots and replaces a former drainage basin. Set to become a key landmark on Waterfront Avenue, the design treats the energy centre and substation as a single building operated by Vattenfall to provide heating, hot water and electricity.

In a design statement, Smith Scott Mullan Associates wrote: "The key design strategy proposed is to split the energy centre’s overall mass into two visually-discreet elements - a heavy, solid basecourse wall at low level, and a much lighter and more permeable box-like enclosure floating above.

"The heavy basecourse element is proposed as a 3.6m high masonry wall wrapping around the full building. As well as visually grounding the building, this solid element offers a highly secure external finish to the energy centre, where immediately accessible to the public."

Incorporating projecting headers, soldier courses and in-built bench seats for visual interest, this wall is to be punctuated by tall, slot-like windows with a glazed entrance fronting a public square. 

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