Alongside our research here at the Sustainable Earth Institute, there is also a team working on the technical and commercial side of the United Downs project, on site in Cornwall. Here is a quick word from them to introduce themselves:
The three year United Downs Deep Geothermal Power (UDDGP) project is being undertaken by Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) to explore the deep geothermal resources beneath Cornwall, with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund (£10.6m), Cornwall Council (£2.4m) and private investors (£5m).
The project is drilling two deep geothermal holes, or ‘wells’, from its site within the United Downs Industrial Estate and will build a 1MW – 3MW pilot power plant to demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of supplying both electricity and heat. The production well is being drilled first to a depth of 4,500m, making it the deepest onshore well in the UK, after which the injection well will be drilled to a depth of 2,500m.
GEL, together with its delivery partners GeoScience Ltd, University of Plymouth and BGS, has assembled a small project team to manage the project from its offices in Falmouth and the United Downs site. In addition to Project Management functions, the team includes drilling supervision staff, geologists, geochemists, a Community Relations Manager, and a graphic designer who works on the educational outreach and public dissemination parts of the project.
The team from University of Plymouth is carrying out parallel research into the public perceptions and acceptance of the development of geothermal energy in Cornwall.
You can keep up with the progress of the project on the UDDGP website or follow us on twitter @uniteddownsgeo.
Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) has secured funding of £10.6 million from the European Regional Development Fund to explore the geothermal resources deep beneath Cornwall.
With £2.4 million from Cornwall Council and £5 million from private investors, the funding will allow GEL to drill two deep geothermal wells from its site within the United Downs Industrial Estate and build a 1MW – 3MW pilot power plant to demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of supplying both electricity and heat.
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