Six of these integrated energy supply stations will be providing heating, cooling and hot water for buildings totalling 1.59 million square m to meet the energy needs of Xi'an Jiaotong University's 25,000 researchers and 10,000 faculty members in the Innovation Harbour.
The project utilises non-interference geothermal heating technology and medium-deep geothermal energy to provide a clean heat source. Using metal conduit and a heat exchange medium, heat (but not water) is taken from deep underground (two to three km in depth) where there are stores of geothermal energy at a temperature of 70°C – 120°C.
Compared with conventional coal-fired boilers this geothermal technology can reduce CO2 emissions by 68,000 tpy and other emissions such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by 850 tpy.