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 UK: Commercial hot rock energy power plant
Posted by on 2009-10-12 08:17:05
contributed by gfoat
Geothermal Engineering Ltd is outlining its plans today to pioneer hot rock energy in the UK. The project, near Redruth in Cornwall, will be the UK’s first commercial scale geothermal power plant, supplying 10 MW of base load electricity to the National Grid and up to 55 MW of renewable heat for local use. Subject to planning permission, the start date for drilling is mid 2010, with the plant commercially operational by 2013.
Over the next 20 years, Geothermal Engineering Ltd plans to deliver up to 300 MW of clean, sustainable electricity and up to 1 GW of renewable heat for communities across the South West of the UK. Over the coming months, Geothermal Engineering Ltd will be consulting with the local community, council and universities on their preferred options for using the renewable heat. Geothermal heat is often used as a source for low cost heating, agriculture, industry and even to provide cooling to high tech businesses.
Geothermal systems use the Earth’s natural heat as a sustainable power source. Wells will be drilled to approximately 5 km where temperatures are expected to exceed 170 degrees centigrade. Water will be pumped down into the rock where it is naturally heated, before being pumped back to the surface as hot water or steam. The heated water will be used to power turbines to generate electricity and as the source of renewable heat. Geothermal Engineering Ltd chose Cornwall for the first geothermal plant as previous research proved that Cornwall has a suitable heat resource.
Ryan Law, MD of Geothermal Engineering Ltd, said: “Geothermal energy has been in use for millennia, even in the UK where the Romans used it for bathing. Modern technology allows us to target deeper, hotter geothermal resources to provide a sustainable source of electricity and heat. Our vision is to provide renewable power in the UK at minimal environmental cost”.
Geothermal Engineering Ltd was founded in 2008 by Ryan Law who has 10 years’ experience in geothermal energy, primarily working with the global engineering consultancy Arup. Geothermal Engineering Ltd’s technical board includes Dr Tony Batchelor who ran the original Hot Dry Rock geothermal research project in the UK that was in operation between 1976 and 1991.
Geothermal energy is already being successfully used in countries including America, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Iceland. Geothermal power is a renewable energy source with a minimal footprint and produces low or zero emissions.
For more information, please visit www.geothermalengineering.co.uk
~ENDS~
About Geothermal Engineering Ltd
Geothermal Engineering Ltd is a privately-owned British company specialising in the proving and development of geothermal resources. The company works with a wide range of specialists including geologists, reservoir modellers, power plant construction engineers and district heating designers. Geothermal Engineering was founded in 2008 by MD Ryan Law and the head office is in London, UK. Geothermal Engineering has global reach via its relationship with the engineering consultancy firm Arup. Geothermal Engineering is currently involved in the development of the UK’s first commercial geothermal power plant.
Notes
• The total global installed geothermal electricity capacity is approximately 10 GW
• Geothermal energy has been used to generate electricity for more than a century
• Geothermal power plants produce significant quantities of renewable heat. Renewable heat is a key part of the UK’s policy to reduce CO2 emissions
• The Economist, June 2008 on deep geothermal energy: ‘…it has got the lot. No unsightly turbines. No need to cover square kilometres of land with vast mirrors. And it is always on.’
Sources:
• The possible role and contribution of geothermal energy to the mitigation of climate change: Ingvar B. Fridleifsson (United Nations University Geothermal Training Programme, Iceland) et al link
• The future of geothermal energy: Massachusetts Institute of Technology link
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