GeoConnect
Manchester
Powering Manchester's Future with Local Geothermal Heat
A major new low-carbon heat network connecting Wythenshawe Hospital and Manchester Airport.
Delivered in partnership by:
A £100+ million infrastructure project with the potential to establish Greater Manchester as a national leader in geothermal heat.
01 — THE OPPORTUNITY BENEATH MANCHESTER FEET
Available when needed, all day, all year, GeoConnect Manchester will use naturally occurring geothermal heat from deep beneath Wythenshawe.
Two geothermal wells will access water approximately 4 km underground, where temperatures are expected to reach around 115°C.
The heat will be supplied through a new network serving Wythenshawe Hospital and Manchester Airport.
02 — Why GeoConnect Manchester Matters to Greater Manchester
A major infrastructure opportunity for the region
GeoConnect Manchester can deliver benefits far beyond the initial connections to the hospital and airport. The project could:
The Manchester Airport and Wythenshawe area has already been identified through regional heat mapping and heat network assessments as a strategic location for low-carbon heat infrastructure. GeoConnect Manchester provides an opportunity to turn regional energy ambitions into deliverable infrastructure.
03 — Benefits for the Local Community
Investment today. Long-term benefits for Wythenshawe.
GeoConnect Manchester starts with two major local organisations, but its potential reaches much further.
The project can:
Support local employment and skills
The development of a major geothermal and heat network project creates opportunities across engineering, construction, energy, operations and associated supply chains.
Create opportunities for local businesses
Project partners have committed to identifying opportunities for regional suppliers and businesses as the project develops.
Support future development
The network has been planned with future connections in mind, including future developments in the wider Wythenshawe area.
Bring investment into the area
Bring investment into the area - more than £100 million of infrastructure investment would support the local and regional economy.
Build infrastructure for future generations
The geothermal resource could provide low-carbon heat for more than 50 years, based on similar geothermal schemes elsewhere.
04 — A Project with National Importance
Manchester Can Lead the Development of a New UK Energy Industry
GeoConnect Manchester would be one of the UK’s first regional-scale geothermal heat networks. Its success could create a model for similar projects across the country. The project would:
05 — Benefits for Wythenshawe Hospital and the NHS
Helping Decarbonise England’s Largest NHS Trust
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is England’s largest acute NHS Trust. Wythenshawe Hospital alone has around 1,000 beds and currently accounts for approximately 27% of the Trust’s natural gas consumption.
Hospital photo ]
GeoConnect Manchester would:
GeoConnect Manchester provides a practical route to decarbonising one of the NHS’s largest and most important hospital sites.
06 — Benefits for Manchester Airport
Decarbonising the UK’s Third-Largest Airport
Manchester Airport is one of the North’s most important economic assets and a major part of the UK’s national infrastructure. Heat generation at Manchester Airport represents approximately 50% of MAG’s remaining scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. The airport currently relies on gas-fired boilers serving individual buildings.
GeoConnect Manchester would:
The wider opportunity
More than 150 businesses operate at Manchester Airport. GeoConnect Manchester therefore creates an opportunity to extend the benefits of low-carbon heat across one of the UK’s largest airport economies.
07 — Built to Grow
The First Connections Are Only the Beginning
GeoConnect Manchester has been planned as infrastructure for future growth.
The geothermal resource and future network expansion could support additional connections.
Potential future users include:
Supporting GeoConnect Manchester means supporting infrastructure that can serve Greater Manchester for decades.
08 — Why Geothermal?
Efficient. Local. Reliable. Long-Term.
Geothermal heat offers major advantages for large organisations with continuous heat requirements.
Available around the clock
Geothermal energy does not depend on sunshine or wind conditions.
Highly efficient
The proposed system could use approximately ten times less electricity than comparable air source heat pump solutions.
Local energy
The heat resource exists beneath Greater Manchester.
Long asset life
The geothermal heat source could operate for more than 50 years.
Energy security
Reduced dependence on gas and electricity helps protect major heat consumers against energy market volatility.
Suitable for existing infrastructure
The expected geothermal temperature of approximately 115°C makes the resource suitable for existing hospital and airport heating systems.
The right technology. In the right location. Serving the right customers.
09 — Why Star Energy?
The Experience to Take GeoConnect Manchester from Concept to Delivery
Subsurface expertise
Star Energy has decades of experience working with the UK’s subsurface geology, drilling operations and complex energy infrastructure.
Geothermal development capability
The company is developing a pipeline of deep geothermal projects across the UK.
Project development experience
Star Energy has the technical, commercial and operational capabilities required to develop major geothermal infrastructure.
Established project partnership
Star Energy has worked with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust under an Innovation Partnership Agreement since 2024 and is working jointly with the Trust and Manchester Airport to progress GeoConnect Manchester.
GeoConnect Manchester combines Star Energy’s subsurface and geothermal expertise with the infrastructure experience of Manchester Airport and the operational requirements of one of the NHS’s largest Trusts.
The project is supported by completed technical studies, established governance arrangements, stakeholder engagement, legal agreements and identified funding routes.
10 — Three Partners. One Shared Ambition.
A strong public and private sector partnership
Star Energy
Geothermal development, subsurface expertise and project delivery.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
One of the UK's largest healthcare organisations and a major regional heat consumer.
Manchester Airport
Critical national infrastructure, a major regional employer and the UK's third-largest airport.
Together, the partners bring:
The project has also engaged with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester City Council and Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. GeoConnect Manchester already has the organisations, heat demand, geothermal resource and development work required to move forward.
11 — The Decision Is About More Than One Project
Support GeoConnect Manchester
GeoConnect Manchester represents an opportunity to:
GeoConnect Manchester is ready to move from opportunity to delivery. With the right support, Greater Manchester can deliver a nationally significant geothermal project that benefits our NHS, our economy, our communities and our energy future.
Contact the GeoConnect Manchester team →12 — Final Message
GeoConnect Manchester is ready to move from opportunity to delivery.
With the right support, Greater Manchester can deliver a nationally significant geothermal project that benefits our NHS, our economy, our communities and our energy future.
GeoConnect Manchester is not simply a heat network for a hospital and an airport but an opportunity to bring more than £100 million of investment into Greater Manchester, build long-term energy infrastructure, support the NHS, decarbonise critical national infrastructure and help establish a new UK geothermal industry.
That gives stakeholders and politicians multiple reasons to support the project, even if their main interests are economic growth, healthcare, aviation, energy security, local employment, net zero or regional investment.