Promising findings from campus geothermal drilling

The first phase of the geothermal campus project is complete, and the results have positive implications for low-carbon heating and cooling systems on campus and beyond.

The team found abundant groundwater resources and high thermal conductivity values – positive findings that support the continued development of ground energy for low-carbon heating systems on campus. 

Both groundwater yields and thermal conductivity were higher than the team’s initial assumptions, meaning that more energy could be obtained from each borehole that has been drilled. 

Knowing the value of the ground resources helps the University to make more informed design decisions for the heating systems, and will have expansive implications for the university’s facilities, student education, and journey to net zero. 

Working towards the Climate Plan 

Geothermal drilling in the University of Leeds campus began in 2024 with the aim of understanding the potential for low-carbon geothermal heating systems. 

The project is a collaboration between Geosolutions Leeds, the Facilities Directorate, the University’s Net Zero Delivery teams, engineering consultancy Buro Happold and drilling contractors ANTS Group. 

The geothermal site is actively operating as a Living Lab project, supporting research and student education, and exploring the possible uses of geothermal energy at the test site, across campus, and in the wider region. 

It’s now part of relevant taught courses, showing students a real-life case study and training the next generation of scientists and engineers to tackle the energy transition. 

The project contributes to the University’s Climate Plan, specifically its goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. 

Growing network of geothermal heating 

As the first phase of work has shown promising results, the university will continue the development of geothermal heating systems on campus by bringing new buildings into the geothermal campus plan. 

The buildings could move to new low-carbon energy and be taken off the current energy network which relies on gas. 

Plans are in development for a new geothermal campus energy centre on campus, which will serve as the backbone of the new low-carbon heat supply to the engineering cluster. 

Fleur Loveridge, Professor of Geo-Energy Engineering in the School of Civil Engineering, said: “It's exciting to see the culmination of the drilling last year with positive recommendations for the development of the shallow geothermal energy system on campus. 

“As we move onto the next stages, which will design and build that new energy system, I can now look forward to working in a building heated with low-carbon renewable energy from beneath the campus.” 

As well as on-campus developments, the project’s insights will help other organisations across Leeds and beyond in their energy transition and provide teaching and learning opportunities for students. 

For example, a new research project titled GeoGrid will explore how geothermal systems can support the power system's integration of renewable energy through grid balancing, using the Geothermal Campus Living Lab to gather data. 

Geosolutions Leeds will collaborate with Northern Powergrid, LCP Delta, E.ON Next, Leeds City Council and Star Refrigeration on the project. 

More information

• Top image by Ben Craven, School of Earth and Environment
• More energy news from the Faculty of Environment.