MAGPLY’S fire-resistant roofing boards have been specified to support Lancaster University’s sustainability aspirations, with the educational institution targeting carbon net zero from all energy by 2030 and from all emission scopes by 2035.
Some 1,500m2 of Magply’s 12mm-thick boards were chosen by Vital Energi for the project at a new energy centre. The magnesium oxysulfate boards were installed by Axis Group.
As part of an adhered bituminous roofing system, the boards were installed over metal roof deck sheets with tapered insulation and waterproofing to form a flat non-combustible surface.
Situated on the outer edge of its south east Lancaster campus, Energy Centre 2 forms part of a renewable energy project to ‘virtually eliminate’ the use of gas to heat the university’s Bailrigg campus.
The facility will house an array of air and water source heat pumps, along with four e-boilers. The centre will also include thermal stores to supplement the new heat supply and help ensure consistent heat during peak times of the day.
To carry the heat across campus, 6.5km of district heating pipework is being installed to increase the network’s coverage from approximately 65% of buildings to 95%. This will be connected to more than 200 properties from the district heat network.
The project is expected to be completed in early 2027.
The university has also recently completed a 11.3MW solar farm on 52 acres of university land east of the M6.
Vital Energy’s regional director Scott Lutton said, “The new energy centre, utilising air and water source heat pump technology, will save 2,700 tonnes of carbon annually, making a significant contribution to Lancaster University’s journey towards carbon neutrality.”
