Urbio Joins the UKDEA: Bringing AI-Powered Planning to the UK District Heating Market

Urbio has become a member of the UK District Energy Association (UKDEA), the leading knowledge hub and representative voice for the UK's district energy sector. The membership marks Urbio's formal entry into the UK market and its commitment to supporting the acceleration of district heating network development across Britain.

About the UKDEA: Over a Decade at the Heart of UK District Energy

Founded in 2010 and launched by then Minister of State for Climate Change Greg Barker MP, the UKDEA was created by the partners, owners, and operators of the UK's largest district energy schemes with a clear mandate: to put low carbon heat networks firmly on the government's agenda — and to keep them there. It has done exactly that.

Today, the association counts over 170 member organisations such as E.ON, Veolia, Vattenfall, Vital Energi, Bring Energy, Dalkia, and many more spanning the full spectrum of the sector, from city-wide network operators and local authorities to consultants, contractors, and technology suppliers. Together, UKDEA members operate schemes delivering more than 1 TWh of heat per year, across networks that would stretch over 300 km if combined, backed by over 200 MW of low carbon generation capacity including CHP, biomass, and energy-from-waste.

At the helm is Simon Woodward, Chairman and Technical Director, who brings three decades of hands-on experience developing district energy schemes across the UK. Until 2014, Simon served as CEO of Cofely District Energy — at the time the UK's largest district energy company, now operating as Bring Energy — and is currently involved in developing ten active schemes across the country. His leadership gives the UKDEA deep technical credibility and direct insight into the real-world challenges of district heating network planning and delivery.

Why the UK, Why Now

The UK district heating market is entering a critical phase. With the Heat Network Zoning framework advancing, the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) channelling capital into new projects, and a regulatory environment increasingly designed to de-risk long-term investments, the conditions for scaling district heating networks have never been more favorable — or more demanding of precision.

All of this creates a powerful but demanding environment for project development by local authorities, utilities and appointed consulting firms. Zoning requires defensible spatial analysis. Authorization from Ofgem , the british energy regulator, requires documented compliance. Investors require bankable feasibility. Zone Coordinators — typically local authorities — will be responsible for collecting data, refining zone boundaries, appointing delivery partners through competitive processes, and publishing information to attract investment. All of which depends on credible, audit-ready analysis produced well ahead of formal designation.

This is exactly where Urbio's AI-powered software for district heating planning is designed to make a difference — compressing months of manual feasibility work into a fraction of the time, and producing analysis that can withstand financial and regulatory scrutiny.

What Joining the UKDEA Means for Urbio

Joining the UKDEA formalizes Urbio’s position at the center of the UK’s energy transition. Urbio takes its seat within the UK's most active community of district energy professionals—the planners, engineers, and policymakers shaping the sector's trajectory. It also signals Urbio's long-term commitment to the UK market.

For the UKDEA ecosystem, Urbio introduces a critical technical shift: AI-native district heating network planning software to bridge the gap between national zoning targets and bankable execution. As heat network project pipelines grow in ambition and scale, the tools used to plan them need to match.

Looking Ahead

The UK has some of the most ambitious district heating targets in Europe, and some of the most complex delivery environments. Urbio joins the UKDEA at a moment when the gap between ambition and execution has never been more consequential — or more solvable. The plan is to be part of closing it.

---

About the UKDEA

The UK District Energy Association (UKDEA) is the knowledge hub and voice for the UK's district energy sector, representing over 170 member organisations delivering more than 1 TWh of heat per year. Founded in 2010, it is the largest representative body for district energy in the UK. Learn more at ukdea.org.uk.

About Urbio

Urbio is an impact-driven software company founded in 2020, developing AI-powered solutions for heating network planning and design. The platform combines network design optimization and plug-and-play digital twins to help utilities, consultants and public authorities across Europe accelerate the deployment of renewable heating infrastructure.