Deep geothermal energy plant buried under THREE MILES of granite opens at the Eden Project in Cornwall
- It will become UK’s deepest plant of the type using heat trapped underground
Britain’s first deep geothermal energy plant since 1986 was opened yesterday at the Eden Project in Cornwall.
It will become Britain’s deepest plant of the type, making use of the heat trapped underground for use on the surface.
Dug more than three miles into the granite, the plant will heat the energy-hungry visitor attraction which recreates a tropical rainforest and Mediterranean climate under giant domes.
The energy plant is hoped to lead the way for other projects in the UK – which has enough underground heat to potentially heat the whole country.
But so far the UK has lagged behind other countries such as the Netherlands and France in exploiting the clean form of energy.
Britain’s first deep geothermal energy plant since 1986 was opened yesterday at the Eden Project in Cornwall
The geothermal borehole works by sucking in very hot water trapped underground.
It then transfers the heat – via a device called a heat exchanger – to another water supply.
This hot water is then used as a source of heat at the project.
The extracted water – now cooled – is then pumped back underground.
A government white paper on deep geothermal energy is expected in the next few weeks, which will assess the its potential in the UK and make policy recommendations.
The last deep geothermal plant was completed in 1986 in Southampton, but is currently closed for repairs.
Eden Geothermal Ltd, the firm behind the project secured £24 million funding from various sources including the European Regional Development Fund, Cornwall Council and an investment trust, GCP Infrastructure Investments Limited.
The Growing Point nursery has been built between the geothermal site and the Biomes.
Sir Tim Smit KBE, co-founder of the Eden Project, said: ‘Geothermal is the sleeping giant of renewables: lying not under our noses, but literally under our feet. The Netherlands’ geothermal industry started with heating for greenhouses, and they are now aiming for it to contribute to a quarter of all their heating by 2050.’
Steve Double, MP for Newquay and St Austell said ‘The launch at Eden Geothermal Project marks a huge moment for Cornwall and is the culmination of years of hard work by the team to bring clean and sustainable energy to the Duchy.
‘Cornwall is widely recognised as one of the best places in the UK to exploit deep geothermal electricity generation, with the potential to enable local homes and businesses to be powered through decarbonised heat.
‘I am pleased that geothermal has already been identified as a key opportunity in Powering Up Britain – the Government’s plans for net zero energy development.
‘I look forward to working with Ministers to ensure the continued growth of the industry.’
Philip Kent, Director at Gravis Capital Management, said ‘In other countries, like the Netherlands and France, geothermal is making a serious contribution to achieving net zero and energy security targets
Richard Day, Chairman of EGL, said he hoped existing spent oil and gas wells could be repurposed to produce geothermal energy, adding: ‘Geothermal offers a real opportunity for the oil and gas industry to transform itself and become part of the solution. Not only are the expertise and technology for geothermal directly transferrable, but coaxial systems like this could be used to repurpose oil and gas wells’.
The new nursery will all the plants for the Rainforest Biome, Mediterranean Biome Outdoor Gardens and retail, as well as food for the hundreds of thousands of visitors Eden welcomes every year.
Having a nursery on the main Eden Project site means crops can be harvested as required on the day of use and delivered in minutes to food preparation areas, greatly reducing transit distance, time and the need for packaging.
Philip Kent, Director at Gravis Capital Management, said ‘In other countries, like the Netherlands and France, geothermal is making a serious contribution to achieving net zero and energy security targets. With the right policy support, the UK has a huge opportunity to benefit from a resource that can meaningfully contribute to the decarbonisation and improved security of our electricity and heat systems.’
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