Geothermal Engineering Ltd is a privately-owned British company founded in 2008 specialising in the development of geothermal resources.
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Geothermal Engineering Ltd is currently developing a project at the United Downs industrial estate, near Redruth, Cornwall.[1] The power station at United Downs will generate 10 MW electricity, to be sold back to the National Grid; and 55 MW thermal energy, to be distributed locally.
The Enhanced Geothermal System employed by Geothermal Engineering Ltd to generate power at United Downs targets volumes of rock that already exhibit enhanced permeability. The company plans to drill three boreholes to a true depth of 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi). Water is pumped down a borehole which then travels through fractures in the rock, capturing the heat, until it is pumped out of one or more production boreholes as very hot pressurised water which is then converted into electricity using a steam turbine.[2][3] The water for charging the reservoir will come from flooded mines, not from the local water supply. The hot water produced by the plant can also be used to supply thermal energy and air conditioning (via an absorption chiller) to the surrounding area.
Geothermal Engineering Ltd announced the plans for the United Downs geothermal power station in October 2009;[4] and held a local consultation in Carharrack in the same month. In December 2009 the company received £1.475 million in funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.[5]
On 13 August 2010 the United Downs plant was granted planning permission by Cornwall Council in a unanimous vote.[6][7] The drilling of the first well will begin in early 2011.[8] The plant is expected to be operational by 2013-2014.[9]
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