Underground heat makes pitch perfect
Viessmann Climate Solutions boilers have been installed at Blackburn Rovers Football Club to support a new under-pitch heating system. The project, delivered by Proctor Process Plant Ltd, involved the replacement of an ageing 1990s boiler setup with two Vitocrossal 200 Type CRU units.
Each boiler has a capacity of 800kW and offers up to 98% seasonal efficiency. The installation was completed within five weeks of design approval and became operational ahead of the 2024/25 football season.
The new system is housed in the existing plantroom under the Bryan Douglas Darwen End stand. It distributes approximately 70m3 of warm water per hour through a network of pipes laid beneath the playing surface. Under-soil heating is used in sports stadia with grass surfaces to heat the underside of the pitch and protect it from bad weather, such as snow and ice.
As part of the installation, a number of system components were added, including a 50m flue system, four high-efficiency pumps, a hydraulic separator, water treatment systems and prefabricated distribution header pipes.
The system is managed via a control panel developed in collaboration with the club’s grounds staff. It provides cascade boiler control, pump control, gas detection and building management system compatibility.
