Kings Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire, UK, provides comprehensive healthcare services for a population of over 300,000 people in the region. The hospital underwent a significant redevelopment initiative to expand its capacity and enhance its commitment to environmental conservation.

Part of the renovation was the installation of a geothermal heat pump system specifically deployed to reduce environmental impact and save money. A 1,400 ton lake-source heat pump cooling and heating system that is capable of producing 5.4MW of cooling and 5MW of heating was installed. A network of heat exchangers submerged in the adjacent Kings Mill Reservoir is connected to 42 heat pumps in the hospital, which regulate the temperature. The system is the largest geothermal lake loop in Europe and will fulfill the hospital’s entire needs for cooling and support the gas heating system when the capacity is available, annually saving 9,600 MWh of gas and electricity.

Skanska consulted local preservation and wildlife groups and the heat exchangers were installed during the winter to minimize disturbance. A floating reed bed has been added to conceal and protect the exchangers and to create new habitats for wildlife.