Southampton District Energy Scheme

Country| United Kingdom
Location| Southampton
Coordinates| 50°54′17″N 1°24′35″W﻿ / ﻿50.904780°N 1.4096148°W﻿ / 50.904780; -1.4096148
Status| Operational
Commission date| 1986
Owner(s)| ENGIE
Geothermal power station
Min. source temp.| 76 °C
Max. well depth| 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
External links
Commons| Related media on Commons

[edit on Wikidata]

The Southampton District Energy Scheme is a district heating and cooling system in Southampton, United Kingdom. The system is owned and operated by ENGIE.

## History[edit]

In the 1980s the Department of Energy undertook a research and development programme to examine the potential of geothermal aquifers in the UK. However, after some initial success drilling a well in the Wessex Basin in 1981, it was deemed too small to be commercially viable. The project was abandoned by the Department of Energy, but Southampton City Council took the decision to create the UK's first geothermal power scheme. This was undertaken as part of a plan to become a ‘self sustaining city’ in energy generation, promoted by then-leader of the city council Alan Whitehead.[1]

Pumping started in 1986 from the Wessex Basin aquifer at a depth of 1,800 m (5,900 ft) and a temperature of 76 °C (169 °F).[1][2] The system initially supplied only the Southampton Civic Centre, but was gradually expanded to serve over 1,000 residential properties,[1] as well as the WestQuay shopping centre, the Royal South Hants Hospital, Solent University and the Carnival offices; and is part of an enlarged city centre district heating system that includes other combined heating, cooling and power sources.

By 2007, the system had 11 km (6.8 miles) of pipes, and was producing 40 GWh of heat, 22 GWh of electricity and 8 GWh of cooling per year.[1]

By 2014, the system provided 7 MW CHP, 2 MW of geothermal power, and 1 MW from biomass, saving 12,000 tons CO2 per year.[3]

## See also[edit]

* England portal
* Geology portal
* Renewable energy portal

* Geothermal power in the United Kingdom

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Case study: Southampton Greenpeace UK, 23 July 2007
2. ^ Introduction to Geothermal Resource University of East Anglia
3. ^ Geothermal District Heating Southampton case study

* v
* t
* e

District heating and cooling systems in the United Kingdom

District heating only|

* Bunhill Heat and Power
* Nottingham District Heating Scheme
* Pimlico District Heating Undertaking
* Sheffield City District Heating
* Shetland Heat Energy and Power
* Stoke-on-Trent District Heat Network

District heating and cooling|

* Southampton District Energy Scheme

* v
* t
* e

Electricity generation in South East England

Power stations|

| Biomass|

| Active|

* Slough

|

Closed|

* Didcot A (co-fired)
* Kingsnorth (co-fired)

Coal|

| Closed|

* Brighton A + B
* Cowes
* Didcot A (co-fired)
* Earley
* Eastbourne
* Broomgrove
* Kingsnorth (co-fired)
* Littlebrook A, B + C
* Northfleet
* Osney
* Portsmouth
* Richborough
* Slough
* Southampton

|

Gas|

| Active|

* Cowes
* Damhead Creek
* Didcot B
* Grain
* Humbly Grove
* Hythe
* Marchwood
* Medway
* Sevington
* Shoreham
* Storrington

|

Closed|

* Hastings
* Slough

Geothermal|

| Active|

* Southampton

|

Incinerators/Waste|

| Active|

* Allington Quarry
* Chineham
* Isle of Wight
* Marchwood
* Newhaven
* Portsmouth
* Slough

|

Nuclear|

| Closed|

* Dungeness A
* Dungeness B

|

Refused/Cancelled|

* Dungeness C

Oil|

| Closed|

* Kingsnorth (co-fired)
* Fawley
* Grain
* Littlebrook A, B + C, D
* Marchwood
* Northfleet
* Richborough

|

Solar|

| Active|

* Brighton
* Westmill

|

Wind|

| Active|

* Green Park
* Gunfleet Sands
* Kentish Flats
* London Array
* Romney Marsh
* Rampion
* Thanet
* Westmill

|

Refused/Cancelled|

* Navitus Bay

Hydro|

| Active|

* Mapledurham
* Osney
* Reading
* Romney
* Sandford

|

Organisations|

* Brighton Electric Light Company
* Centrica
* Expro International Group
* Hammond Electric Light Company
* UK Power Networks
* Pre-nationalisation electric power companies
* Seeboard
* Southern Electric
* Western Power Distribution

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