Felixstowe Social Housing Development

Project Overview

The project was aimed at installing a geothermal ground source heat pump (GSHP) system to improve the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of houses in a social housing development in Felixstowe. This involved the installation of 66 boreholes, with a total drilling depth of 12,880 meters across 5 phased areas.

Installation Details

• Number of Boreholes: 66 at 200 metres with a total drilled of 12,880 metres

• Average Weekly Drilling Rate: 1,400 meters

• Equipment Used: The Comacchio MC900P.1, a highly efficient and versatile drilling rig, was employed for the project. Its capabilities were instrumental in achieving and maintaining a high drilling rate.

• Performance: The team successfully drilled an average of 1,400 meters per week, contributing to the project’s early completion.

Challenges and Solutions

• Urban Site Constraints: Operating within a residential area required careful planning to minimise disruptions. The project team coordinated drilling activities to reduce noise and inconvenience to residents.

• Two Medium pressure gas mains constricted 2 phases of the project resulting in redesigns of the layouts for the borehole positions with deeper bores.