The project will involve the replacement of older chiller plant and cooling units in all major campus buildings with an underground pipeline supplying chilled water from a new central chiller plant, leading to improved efficiency. The new plant will create chilled water overnight, which is then stored in a 12 million litre thermal energy storage (TES) tank.
The new system will potentially result in a 4.5 megawatt reduction in the electricity demand JCU requires of the Ergon Energy Network.
The project interfaces with a Campus building development plan whose first target was to provide for up to 25,000 square metres of additional air conditioned buildings at the JCU Townsville campus.
Reports on the project
“The project has national and even international significance. As far as can be determined, this TES tank will be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Ergon Energy has been involved from the start of the feasibility study and has formally expressed its support. JCU values this involvement which will ultimately lead to benefits for the wider community as similar systems are implemented by commercial power consumers.”