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New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
UK’s first operational deep geothermal project in 37 years
5/7/2023
News
Eden Geothermal, the UK’s first operating deep geothermal heating plant since 1986, has come online at the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK.
Drilling was finished in 2021, and now Eden Geothermal has completed the main plant and is able to supply heat to the Eden Project and its new nursery Growing Point. The well has a vertical depth of 4,871 metres, with a measured depth (the actual length of the well) of 5,277 metres, thought to be the longest geothermal well in the UK.
The geothermal heat system is a single well coaxial system with a 4,000 metre vacuum insulated tube inserted into the well, lifting hot water from deep below. This passes through a heat exchanger with the cooled water then re-injected into the well via the outer ring. The heat is delivered via a 3.8 km heat main, at around 85°C.
Eden Geothermal secured £24mn funding from the European Regional Development Fund, Cornwall Council and GCP Infrastructure Investments, an investment trust advised by Gravis Capital Management.
Sir Tim Smit KBE, Co-Founder of the Eden Project, commented: ‘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.’
Advanced closed loop technology
Elsewhere, Chevron New Energies Japan and Mitsui Oil Exploration Company (MOECO) have agreed to proceed with the pilot testing of advanced closed loop (ACL) geothermal technology.
ACL technology involves sub-surface heat exchange through conduction by circulating a working fluid from the surface through a loop of underground wells to generate electricity (through surface facilities) by utilising sub-surface geothermal heat (via a sub-surface radiator). It does not require direct extraction of hot water (brine) or steam from underground reservoirs, as is the case with conventional geothermal technology.
The companies plan to pilot test the technology in the Niseko region of Hokkaido, Japan, with the aim of de-risking, scaling and commercialising geothermal power generation with additional potential as a heat resource.
