Vital Energi have won the contract to upgrade a section of the University of Liverpool’s district heating network. The project involves replacing a 200m section of pipework connecting the University’s Quad Node to Fingals Cave and installing branches to the George Holt, Students’ Guild and Math & Oceanography buildings.
The upgrades are partly to replace ageing infrastructure, but the project also allows the 200mm pipework to be replaced by 250mm pipework, which is capable of transporting more heat along the network.
In addition to the buried district heating network, Vital Energi were also appointed to undertake modifications to the internal pipework systems which involved three cut ins to the district heating branches as the mains passed by the affected buildings.
Vital Energi have installed all of the pre-insulated networks across the University Campus and took the opportunity to also upgrade the leak detection system so that we are able to monitor the network through one centralized location, ensuring the network will continue to perform optimally for decades to come.
Overall, the upgrade programme was extremely challenging, with over 1.4km of pipework installed over a 14-week period, as well as internal modifications.
Works began in July and are due for completion by the end of October and have been scheduled for when the campus will be at its least busy.
