The University of Liverpool have a longstanding commitment to reducing their carbon emissions and Vital Energi's district heating system will contribute significantly towards their 30 per cent reduction targets.
The University of Liverpool is one of the UK’s most environmentally aware and progressive institutions and has undergone a complete transformation in its energy infrastructure. Sustainable energy specialist, Vital Energi, has worked with the University, and with contractors EMCOR and Bardsley Construction, on a number of district heating pipework projects, to assist with this transformation. All of the projects required meticulous planning in order to minimise disruption to the University which remained open throughout some of the work.
Vital Energi’s expertise and experience of working with challenging logistics meant that all of the projects were completed on time and to budget. Liverpool University has adopted a Carbon Management Plan which commits it to a target of cutting 30 per cent of its CO2 emissions by 2016/17. This major infrastructure project provides the university with a state of the art sustainable energy solution that can meet the energy, emission and environmental challenges of the 21st century and provide robust power and heating solutions for the university campus for the next 25 years.
Vital Energi’s first project was directly for the University and was carried out during June to December 2007. The company was awarded the contract to install the main district heating system through major highways in the City Centre of Liverpool and the campus itself, working under difficult conditions at night time and around large electrical services. More than 1000m of district heating pipe was laid during this part of the scheme which connected University buildings to the CHP energy centre.
The University also awarded Vital Energi a 15 year maintenance contract for the district heating pipe network that it installed. During this phase of the works, Vital Energi, the market leader in district heating, further assisted the University by providing pipe size design services and advice on future-proofing the system. The work included connecting to new and existing buildings, some of which were more than 100 years old. Vital Energi also installed its own exclusive Band Muff’™ fusion welded joint system which increases the pipes life span to more than 50 years and therefore lowers maintenance costs.
