Tender – Geothermal infrastructure, UK Geoenergy Observatory

Drillers pulling up core samples at the the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow (source: British Geological Survey)

Alexander Richter 22 Mar 2021

The British Geological Survey (BGS) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) are constructing a mine water geothermal research facility on the Cuningar Loop in east Glasgow as part of the UK Geoenergy Observatories project. Both NERC and BGS form a part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

As part of the research facility work, BGS has issued a tender notice for the Design and build geothermal infrastructure for the UK Geoenergy Observatory at Cuningar Loop, Glasgow, UK.

The Contractor’s main responsibilities will include but are not limited to: detailed design and construction of the works; testing and commissioning the works.

The supplier will develop the ‘Detailed Design Specification’ through collaboration with the Client, to deliver an engineering design for the bespoke research infrastructure that meets the science requirements within the specified budget. Assuming the design is accepted, the supplier will build the design such that the facility is ‘research-ready’.

The geothermal infrastructure will comprise (but may not be limited to):

1. Extend four of the mine-water borehole wellheads above ground level and construct a low brick wellhead chamber and associated pipework.
2. To complete the hydraulic and thermal design of a pumping main and reinjection main, associated manual valve work and other infrastructure. To excavate and install this pipe infrastructure in trenches.
3. To install a cable duct within the main pipework trench to be routed to a control panel at a heat centre at Site 1.
4. To select and install an electrical submersible pump, associated cabling and rising main in boreholes GGA05 and GGA07. Consideration should be given to the termination and support of these items through the upper wellhead flanged plate. A suitable valve arrangement and wellhead sensors are also to be incorporated into the design.
5. To design and install a reinjection main in boreholes GGA01 and GGA08, with a corresponding pressure-tight wellhead upper-flanged plate. A suitable valve arrangement and wellhead sensors are also to be incorporated into the design.
6. To install two access tubes in all four boreholes, one of which shall be installed with a sensor to determine and log downhole water head, temperature and electrical conductivity.
7. The well equipment and pipework shall be selected to deliver a variable flow rate up to a maximum of 12 L/s and down to a minimum of 3 L/s, while maintaining a positive gauge pressure of at least 1 bar throughout the entire pumping-heat exchange-reinjection main system.
8. The wellhead flange plates should be designed to accommodate both a reinjection main and a pump rising main in the future.
9. To select and install a “heat centre” within the Site 1 compound.
10.  To select and install a reversible water-air chiller / heat pump adjacent to the heat centre, with a nominal maximum output of 200 kW in both heating and cooling mode.
11.  To design and install a heat exchanger circuit in the heat centre. The circuit should include three equally-sized shell-and-tube heat exchangers with a combined heat exchange capacity of 200 kW.
12. To design and install an insulated heat transfer fluid circuit connecting the heat exchangers to the heat pump / chiller unit, with temperature and pressure sensors, circulation pump, glycol pressure regulation and top-up equipment, any necessary thermal buffering, and a sampling tap for sampling the glycol.
13. To install monitoring equipment within the heat centre on the mine water circuit to include an electromagnetic flowmeter, chemical dosing pump, temperature, pressure and electrical conductivity sensors, and a sampling tap.
14. To equip the heat centre with a control panel / management system for receiving and logging signals from the various installed sensors, and also sending control signals to the submersible pumps and the heat pump/chiller.
15. To prepare full design, installation, operation and maintenance documentation for the infrastructure installed in this Contract.
16. To prepare a maintenance schedule for the facility.
17. Commission, test and demonstrate the facility.
18. To providing training on operating the system.

A brief summary of the requirements has been provided above, please ensure you review all additional appendices for full details of this contract.

The supplier shall be appointed under an NEC4 ECC.

Estimated total value of the contract is estimated at GBP 310,000 (USD 430k)

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Swindon:-Construction-work./XE899B3ED7

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address.

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/respond/XE899B3ED7

Source: UK Find Tender Services