A GO FOR FIRST UK GEOTHERMAL PLANT

UK's first geothermal plant given go-ahead
Bob Sherwood, August 15, 2010 (Financial Times)

"Renewable energy from the depths of the earth could be produced in Cornwall...[P]lanning permission was granted for the UK’s first commercial deep geothermal power plant.

"…[T]ypically associated with countries such as volcanic Iceland, Cornwall Council has given the go-ahead for the plant on a brownfield site near Redruth. Geothermal Engineering, the company behind the project, plans to drill 4.5km into the ground to
access rocks at temperatures of about 200°C."

click to enlarge

"Geothermal Engineering said the plant was due to be operational by 2013 and would provide heat for the local area and enough electricity, which would be fed into the national grid, to power 20,000 homes."

Til now, geothermal in the UK has been restricted to ground source heat pumps. (click to enlarge)

"…[A]warded £1.475m from the Department of Energy and Climate Change in December [2009, the company] must…finance…the £40m development cost

"Ryan Law, managing director, who set up the company in 2008, said broader government support was needed to develop geothermal expertise in the UK…"