As part of its wider estate decarbonisation plans, the University of Leeds has invested in a Geothermal Campus Living Lab.
This presentation will describe initial site characterisation for the project, the 2024 drilling campaign and subsequent investigations and interpretation undertaken by the academic research team as part of the project. Intrusive works include two open loop wells for an operational ground source heat pump system, as well as multiple monitoring and test boreholes.
The target of the investigation was the Elland Flags sandstone aquifer, part of the Middle Pennine Coal Measures, but cored pilot wells and one closed loop borehole extend deeper to identify the Rough Rock of the Lower Pennine Coal Measures that may also be a suitable host reservoir.
Initial results from pumping tests and thermal response tests have proved extremely positive with advantageous aquifer properties meaning the design of a hybrid GSHP-ASHP energy centre is proceeding.
Core and down hole imaging, as well as laboratory and in situ testing, highlight the role of fractures in both ground water flow and heat transfer conditions, that significantly influence the thermohydraulic behaviour at the site.
As well as providing a working energy system for campus decarbonisation, the project also provides a platform for research, student education and wider engagement around geothermal energy.
The talk will therefore additionally present details of how the drilling was accompanied by an intensive communications initiative with staff, students and local communities, to inform and allay any concerns about drilling, especially where close to student residences.
The results of the project are also being leveraged to support several geothermal research projects in the city. The talk will also explore work around understanding how shallow geothermal solutions can feed into the development of future heat network zones, and how the subsurface can support power system flexibility and renewables integration through grid balancing.
These projects are all examples of how working across the geoscience, engineering and policy spheres can deliver enhanced impact through sustained collaboration.
