Construction of underground infrastructure at Campus Zuid

TU Delft is working on a future-proof and sustainable development of Campus Zuid. Over the coming years, Campus Zuid will be transformed into a vibrant environment with new facilities for education and research, promoting interaction and collaboration. To make this possible, the groundwork is being laid with the construction of the underground infrastructure in part of this area, enclosed by Watermanweg/Antony Fokkerweg, Huismansingel, Heertjeslaan, and Rotterdamseweg.

Future-proof and sustainable

The area of approximately 24 hectares will be equipped with a future-proof and sustainable underground infrastructure. This includes cables and pipelines for electricity, sewage, gas, data, and thermal energy storage. Thermal energy storage (TES) – a technique that stores energy in the ground to heat buildings in winter and cool them in summer – is already applied to several buildings on the campus. With the construction of the TES system on Campus Zuid, this will be implemented on a larger scale. The system utilizes natural processes and sustainable energy sources, making it a significant step toward a CO2-neutral campus by 2030. A total of up to 36 wells will be installed across Campus Zuid, with the first 12 wells scheduled for early 2025.

WKO clusters ondergrondse infrastructuur Campus Zuid

The four clusters of wells (circles) and the location of the CHP plant (rectangle).

Four clusters of TES wells

The first 12 wells will be installed in four clusters of three wells each: at P4 near the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering (AE), in the green area along Anthony Fokkerweg, at Watermanweg near the parking bays, and along the southern waterway near the TU Delft Reactor Institute. From the wells, pipelines will run to the TES plant, and from there, so-called target pipelines will connect to the designated buildings. The TES plant will be located behind NorthC Data on Heertjeslaan, next to the new Logistics & Environment building.

Facts & figures

  • 24 hectares of land
  • 32 km of pipelines
    • 11 km of TES pipelines
    • 14 km of electrical pipelines
    • 4 km of data pipelines
    • 3 km of other pipelines
  • 3D modeling
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Planning

  • Q1 2025:
    • Start of construction for the first 12 TES wells
    • Development of the design for the underground infrastructure
  • Q2 2025:
    • Start of initial work on the underground infrastructure
    • Completion of construction for the first 12 TES wells before the summer period
  • 2027:
    • TES system operational

More information and questions

An overview of current activities and any disruptions on the campus can be found on the online campus map.

Do you have questions about this project or the activities?
Contact the Environmental Management team via omgevingsmanagement-crefm@tudelft.nl.