Slide 1Slide 2Slide 3Slide 4

KGS Group partnered with the Royal Canadian Mint to design and oversee construction of a cutting-edge, open‑loop geothermal cooling system for a new coin‑making process – a first for the Mint. The system uses groundwater’s stable temperature to cool equipment, replacing energy‑intensive chillers and cooling towers, nearly eliminating greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional cooling.

Cooling now relies on a single pump and as the water absorbs heat from the equipment, heat pumps capture that free energy to warm the building through space heaters and ventilation systems. The conditioned water is re‑injected to the underground source, providing thermal balance and long service life.

KGS delivered an integrated design, controls coordination and construction oversight to bring the system online safely, with minimal disruption to operations. While this project significantly reduced the Mint’s energy use, the success here is the reduced environmental impact it will have for years to come.

Project Highlights

• Open‑loop geothermal process cooling with groundwater source and reinjection
• Single‑pump cooling loop with heat pumps that recover waste heat for building heating
• Integrated space heaters, ventilation equipment and facility controls
• Reduced energy use and lower operating costs
• Cooling-related GHG emissions nearly eliminated
• Thermal balancing for longevity, reduced environmental impact and reliable year‑round operation

To advance IKEA’s global mandate to reduce its carbon footprint, the IKEA Winnipeg store adopted geothermal heating and cooling as a cornerstone of its energy strategy. KGS Group provided design, construction management and commissioning for a geothermal heat pump system that meets the heating and cooling requirements for the 400,000 square foot retail facility.

With four pumping wells and eight recharge wells, this system is the largest geothermal installation of its kind within Winnipeg. Since November 2012, the plant has delivered reliable, year‑round heating and cooling without using the backup gas boilers, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the building while showcasing pragmatic geothermal innovation.

Project Highlights

• Designed a geothermal heat pump system to serve the 400,000 square foot IKEA Winnipeg store
• Drilled and completed four pumping wells and eight recharge wells – the largest of it’s kind in Winnipeg
• Engineered wellfield layout and hydraulic balancing to optimize performance and facilitate maintenance redundancy
• Lowered carbon footprint for IKEA Winnipeg