UK first for South Wales school with its heating system powered by natural thermal spring
A school in South Wales is being heated by a natural thermal spring – a UK first.
Ffynnon Taf Primary School in Taff’s Well, Rhondda Cynon Taf, is located near Wales‘s only natural thermal spring.
There are only three in the whole of the UK.
The school has been part of a project, working with a community group, to use the spring to heat its buildings, as well as the park pavilion.
On Tuesday, some of the school’s pupils got to see how their school is heated.
Pipes carry the water, which is around 21C (69.8F), from the spring to the ground-source heat pumps located in the new school building.
The heat is then used to provide the school and the nearby pavilion with their heating and hot water needs.
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The school’s headteacher, Kathryn Price, told Sky News the children on the eco committee was “really excited” to find out more about how the school is heated.
“We’re super excited to be part of this incredible project here at Ffynnon Taf and we’re really excited to be reducing the carbon footprint for our school,” Ms Price added.
“I think today has just shown how special it is to the children. And they’re using the words that it’s really unique for them. It’s not happening in any other school in the UK as far as we’re aware so it’s really exciting.”
Stuart Gadsden, commercial director of Kensa Contracting, told Sky News the project shows “what can be done” when councils, schools and industry work together.
“We have to get the children engaged in these technologies, take this information home to their parents, take it to the politicians. This is the future. The technology exists today, we can make a difference.”
Jon Arroyo works as Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s energy and carbon reduction manager.
He told Sky News the council was initially approached by Friends of Taff’s Well, with the intention of heating the park pavilion using the spring.
“We looked at the project with a view of heating the new school as well,” he said.
“As an authority, we have an ambition to decarbonise the authority by 2030 so as part of that target is looking for new innovations, new projects, looking to take advantage and make use of what we’ve got.”