Trigeneration for new MediaCityUK

MediaCityUK, based at Salford Quays, on Manchester’s historic Ship Canal, is a new media enterprise zone for northern England. The BBC relocated five of its departments from London to the site in 2011.
MediaCityUK, based at Salford Quays, on Manchester’s historic Ship Canal, is a new media enterprise zone for northern England. The BBC relocated five of its departments from London to the site in 2011. The GBP 415 million development project carried out by the Peel Group includes the construction of over 650 000 m² of new refurbished floor space for business, retail and residential property and is the first development project in the world to receive an “Excellent” BREEAM accreditation

This is partly due to the incorporation of a trigeneration system, comprising a range of facilities. The trigeneration plant and district heating network provide heating and hot water, while the chilled water network provides chilled water, thanks to waste heat produced by the trigeneration plant, via an absorption chiller, during the summer months, when this heat is not required for heating. 

The Manchester Ship Canal also provides a sustainable chilled water source during the winter months, when its temperature drops to below 6°C and its water is also used in the chilled water network. It is claimed this environmentally-friendly solution will reduce carbon emissions by around 20 000 tonnes per annum. Building services company Elyo Suez appointed Vital Energi to supply and install a 2000m network of underground pre-insulated pipes, liking the trigeneration schemes energy centre, housed within a purpose built 2000-space car park on the site, to nearby buildings including a University distribution the heating, power and cooling to the whole vicinity.