Ashford Borough Council partners with Teratherm Energy to pioneer innovative decarbonisation technology at Julie Rose Stadium

As part of Ashford Borough Council’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions across its assets by 2030, it has chosen a new renewable system to replace the gas installation reaching the end of its life at Julie Rose Stadium.

The council are excited to announce its collaboration with Teratherm Energy, a local company specialising in innovative heat generation technology.

Teratherm Energy's ground source solution harnesses thermal energy distributed through a shallow pipework system set into a resin-based surface, which can be utilised in areas such as car parks, pathways and driveways.

This new approach to ground source technology, has been tested in a few domestic scenarios but is not yet widely in use. The council has agreed to support Teratherm Energy in achieving a proof-of-concept project at the Julie Rose Stadium site.

This has been made possible with council funding together with the support of Rural England Prosperity Fund and private investment.

The council continuously reviews opportunities to decarbonise its buildings and this concept presents significant potential for both commercial areas and housing stock. It could also have an opportunity to utilise this technology for much wider decarbonisation.

Minimal disruption is expected for users during the works at the Julie Rose Stadium, with the council working closely with Freedom Leisure, who manage the Julie Rose Stadium on its behalf. Users can keep up to date if there is any potential disruption on the Julie Rose Stadium website and social media channels.

Sophie Stiles, Climate Change Manager at Ashford Borough Council, said: “Our collaboration with Teratherm Energy marks a further significant step towards decarbonising our assets, supporting our net-zero ambitions and allowing us to support a growing local green economy and green skills. We hope that we can further utilise the technology in other areas to benefit our wider community with low cost, low carbon heat.”

Angela Brown, Freedom Leisure’s Head of Sustainability and Environmental said; “We are thrilled to be able to support Ashford Borough Council's pursuit of their Net Zero 2030 goals through this innovative project. We share a deep commitment to environmental sustainability and this development is a great step forward; providing low-carbon energy and significantly reducing emissions which will have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our community and the climate.”

Benefits:

• Gas Heating Replacement: End-of-life system at Julie Rose Stadium replaced with low-carbon option (Teratherm surface, Sunamp Battery, Ground Source Heat Pump).
• Lower Maintenance: More efficient tech reduces the need for gas certification and anticipated maintenance needs.
• Cost Savings: Reduced maintenance and 5-year maintenance plan included in the contract ensures long-term savings.
• Higher Efficiency: The new system if performs as anticipated, offers higher efficiencies and reduced running costs than other low carbon alternatives.
• Net Zero Potential: Potential for net zero operation at the site, with future phases possibly including solar installations on the roof to power heat pumps.
• Decarbonisation: Evaluating the technology’s viability for our assets and wider uses, including district heating in social housing and rural communities.
• Grant Opportunities: As an innovative project, there are potential capital grant opportunities for expansion.
• Income Generation: Potential to sell generated heat and develop a commercial model for selling heat.
• Replicable: If successful, this technology could be a highly replicable solution for the public sector, benefiting assets.
• Local Economy: Supports green jobs and skill development in the region.