United Kingdom: United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project Gets Investment Boost

Thrive Renewables to invest up to GBP 6.5M in the UK’s first geothermal electricity power plant being developed by Geothermal Engineering Limited (News Release)

Funding will enable final testing and power plant construction

Renewable energy investment company, Thrive Renewables, based in Bristol, England, today announces plans to invest up to £6.5 million in the UK’s first geothermal power plant being developed by Geothermal Engineering Ltd. The plant, which is on the United Downs Industrial Estate in Cornwall, aims to supply circa 3 MWe (Mega Watt electrical) of baseload electricity to the National Grid and up to 12 MWth of renewable heat for local use. 

So far, two wells have been successfully drilled, one of which is the deepest onshore well in the UK at 5.1km vertical depth, almost four times the height of Ben Nevis.  The wells are also the hottest in the UK with an expected temperature of over 190°C.  Initial flow tests show that the project will be capable of producing the UK’s first geothermal electricity. The project is now in its final testing phase.

Thrive Renewables is investing funds to complete the final rounds of testing and to build the geothermal power plant.  Radial turbines, powered by the energy from water heated deep in the earth, will generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 6,500 UK homes and will be available 24 hours a day. There are also early stage plans to use the residual heat energy from the project to provide renewable heat locally.

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