Sussex Energy was proud to be part of the events marking the first phase of the Worthing Heat Network going live in February 2026 – a major milestone for low-carbon heat in Sussex.
The new town centre network is now supplying buildings including Worthing Town Hall and the Connaught Theatre through more than 2km of underground pipework connected to a central energy hub. Phase one alone is expected to cut around 3,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year – equivalent to taking more than 2,000 cars off the road.
Phase two begins in March, extending the network further while using underground drilling techniques designed to significantly reduce disruption.
Sustainability Showcase: Collaboration in Action
A Sustainability Showcase brought together a wide range of organisations demonstrating the strength and diversity of Sussex’s energy transition work.
Alongside a Worthing Heat Network stall, Community energy groups (such as OVESCO and Brighton Energy Co-op) showcased rooftop solar schemes, battery storage models, retrofit support for homes and businesses and explained how local residents can invest in solar and see financial returns stay within their communities. Climate Resilience Centre Worthing (CREW) promoted their work on a community-funded model to install solar panels on industrial and commercial rooftops in Worthing. Alice Doyle was there providing practical sustainability advice for SMEs (funded through the Making Business Greener Campaign from The Naturesave Trust). Coastal and community climate initiatives (Sussex Bay and Transition Town Worthing) were also represented, highlighting how environmental action in Sussex spans energy, nature and local resilience. There was a lot of interest in the Sussex Energy stall which gave a flavour of energy transition projects happening in the wider Sussex region.
The steady flow of visitors throughout the day reflected growing appetite for practical, deliverable solutions — not just strategy, but real projects already underway.
For Sussex Energy, the Showcase demonstrated exactly what regional collaboration can unlock: partners working across sectors, scaling ideas and sharing learning.
Placing Worthing in the Bigger Sussex Picture
At the formal launch reception, one of the keynote speeches framed the Worthing Heat Network within the wider Sussex Energy story.
Worthing is not an isolated success.
Across Sussex, offshore wind expansion, heat network development, rooftop solar rollouts, industrial decarbonisation and retrofit programmes are accelerating. Together, they position Sussex as one of the most active regions in the UK for practical, investable low-carbon delivery.
Through Sussex Energy — the regional collaboration working toward energy neutrality by 2040 — partners are championing this work, raising the region’s profile nationally and laying the groundwork for energy to become a core investment priority under the emerging Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority.
Worthing’s heat network shows what is possible when local leadership, strong commercial partnership and long-term thinking align.
It is infrastructure that cuts carbon, strengthens resilience and supports local economic growth — and it forms part of a much bigger story unfolding across Sussex.