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Heat Map of Cornwall
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Geothermal Engineering has earmarked land at United Downs as the site of the UK's first commercial "hot rocks" power plant.
It believes it can generate 10 MWe, enough to power 20,000 homes, by digging bore holes to harvest heat from rocks deep underground.
Research carried out by engineering consultants suggests geothermal could meet one fifth of the UK's electricity demand.
And although government financial support for geothermal is the same as for technologies such as offshore wind and solar power, it is only half the rate offered in Switzerland and Germany, said Ryan Law, managing director of Geothermal Engineering.
