The first of more than sixty geothermal boreholes 240 meters deep has been completed at the Salisbury Square development in the City of London.
According to the City of London Corporation, the Salisbury Square scheme, which has an estimated value of £596 million, is the first development in the square mile to use a self-contained closed-loop heating and cooling solution, which eliminates the need gas
The boreholes for the ground source heat pump solution will be some of the deepest built in the city. They are being installed by the scheme’s main contractor Mace and its subcontractor G-Core.
The geothermal well system takes advantage of constant temperatures deep underground and provides an energy efficient method of heating and cooling. It uses fully electric solutions with energy from renewable sources, without burning fossil fuels.
The network of deep geothermal boreholes in Salisbury Square “is the starting point for the ground-breaking installation of a closed-loop system ground source heat pump in the City of London”, said the project director of Mace Construct, Jeremy Eavis.
“This will mean the Salisbury Square development will be off the gas grid, dramatically reducing its operational carbon.”
Salisbury Square is being funded and delivered by the City of London Corporation. It will house a flagship facility for Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Services and a new state-of-the-art headquarters for the City of London Police.
The development will also include Grade A offices, a refurbished Grade II listed building (2-7 Salisbury Square) and an extended and improved public area.
Chris Hayward, head of policy at the City of London Corporation, described the completion of the first bore as “a significant milestone” and “a big step forward in our plans to create sustainable, low-carbon development”.
He added: “We are committed to using innovative technologies to reduce our carbon emissions, reach our net zero target by 2040 and create a more sustainable London.”
