United Kingdom
Contracting Party: Department of Energy Security and Net Zero
Executive Committee Member
Sarah Robinson
Senior Energy Technical Advisor
Department of Energy Security and Net Zero
Salford, United Kingdom
Alternate Member
Alison Monaghan
Head of Geothermal
British Geological Survey
The Lyell Centre
Edinburgh, Scotland
In the UK significant interest is developing in using low temperature geothermal energy in the heating sector in the transition to net zero 2050. Projects are being progressed, with a number receiving partial funding and support through; the Green Heat Network Fund, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the Heat Networks Delivery Unit.
Mine Water Geothermal Energy
There are several projects underway in the UK to progress low temperature mine water energy for heating, cooling and storage. A major milestone in utilising mine water heat is in the Gateshead mine water heat network. Mine water is accessed from the flooded mines and brought to the surface, where heat pumps upgrade the heat to deliver fluid temperatures of between 65-80°C into the network. The scheme provides up to 6MW of heat to homes, businesses and council buildings. The project is the result of a collaboration between public and private sectors, bringing together the expertise of key stakeholders, including government bodies, local authorities, and energy industry leaders.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
There are ~55,000 installed ground source heat pump systems with an installed capacity of ~850 MWth, annually supplying ~1,430 GWh of heat in the UK. Increasingly, these are being used in decarbonisation of hospitals, University campuses and for heat networks.
Geothermal Heat
There is significant technical potential for direct heat use from geothermal in the UK. The Eden project in Cornwall with its 5.3 km well has been operational since June 2023. The heat generated is used to heat the Biomes, a plant nursery and the offices. The carbon emissions avoidance is some 500 tonnes per annum.
Power Generation
The United Downs Deep Geothermal Power project is the first commercial project in the UK for power generation from the hot granite rocks at an industrial site near Redruth. Two deep, directional wells have been drilled for the project (production and injection well). Steam was first produced from the production well in 2021 and the installation of the 3 MWe power plant is underway with the plant scheduled to commence operation in early 2025. In 2023, the operator Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) became the first geothermal developer in the UK to be awarded a Contracts for Difference (CfD). In 2023 GEL received approval for its Manhay project, a 5 MWe and 20MWth facility in Wendron Parish, Cornwall.
Glasgow Observatory aerial view. BGS©UKRI 2023
UK Geoenergy Observatories
UKRI has invested £31m in sub-surface Observatories and a core scanning facility to enable researchers to develop systems and technologies that can take advantage of the substantial renewable energy resources under our feet. The UK Geoenergy Observatories in Glasgow (investigating shallow, low-temperature, mine-water heat energy and heat storage resources) and Cheshire (investigating shallow, low-temperature aquifer geothermal energy and heat storage resources) are fully operational.
National Geothermal Centre
The National Geothermal Centre launched in June 2024 is a not-for-profit organisation bringing together key stakeholders to enable geothermal development at speed and at scale. The aims include transitioning and developing technology, driving the creation of policy, regulation and investment frameworks for geothermal, and maximising the impact of research and innovation.
Geoenergy Northern Ireland
Public engagement in the mobile discovery centre. Credit: Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland, Geoenergy NI project.
In Northern Ireland, GeoEnergy NI is a project funded by the Department for the Economy (DfE) that is undertaking geothermal exploratory and feasibility studies at two different locations to explore the potential for geothermal energy with two demonstrator projects. One is for deep geothermal (> 2 km deep) at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Greenmount Campus near Antrim and one for shallow geothermal at the Stormont Estate in Belfast (with boreholes around 250 m deep). The project involves significant public engagement, including a mobile discovery centre.
United Kingdom Country Reports
Contact:
Dr Sarah Robinson (she/her)
Senior Energy Technical Advisor
Energy Research Team
Science and Innovation for Climate and Energy (SICE)
2 Dearmans Place, Salford, M3 5BS, United Kingdom
sarah.robinson@energysecurity.gov.uk
+44 (0)7751748016