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York Taps Earth's Heat for Campus Power
4 Jan
Summary
- Natural hot water will heat the entire University of York campus.
- Drilling will reach water 2.5 miles below ground for heat exchange.
- Project aims to cut fossil fuel use by 78% by 2027.
The University of York is embarking on a pioneering project to harness deep geothermal energy, with construction underway to extract naturally heated water from beneath the campus. This ambitious scheme, supported by £35 million in government funding, is designed to warm the entire university and may extend its benefits to neighboring communities.
The core of the project involves drilling two boreholes, each about the size of a pizza, to reach water approximately 2.5 miles (4km) below ground. This superheated water will be channeled through heat exchangers to power the university's heating systems, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
Project leaders anticipate a substantial reduction in fossil fuel consumption on campus, estimating a cut of 78%. The Deep Geothermal Energy Project is slated for completion in 2027 and is one of three UK initiatives funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, aiming to help the nation achieve its net-zero emissions target by 2050.
