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"£100m divided by 12 projects = £8.3m for each project"
thelatest Cornish wells cost £ 15 mm each
Hot topic: UK’s first deep geothermal project gathers steam
The United Downs project in Cornwall is poised to go live next year – and it could be a gamechanger in the race to net zero
The United Downs project, near Redruth, Cornwall, is now undergoing final testing and, if all goes as planned, should be exporting electricity to the grid by 2022. It will produce 3MWe of electricity on a constant basis, enough to power about 7,000 homes, and approximately 12MW of heat.
The initial costs of scoping, drilling and testing are significant, but once up and running, the clean energy that can be produced is limitless. It also doesn’t ebb and flow, like wind or solar. “Geothermal, potentially, has a really important role to play in providing ‘baseload’ electricity to complement other forms of renewable generation,” says Clayton. “It doesn’t matter if it’s sunny, it doesn’t matter if it’s windy. It’s just there.”
There are potential knock-on effects for the surrounding region too. “These plants are not just about electricity,” says Law. “There’s a whole industry that develops around them. [For example], the sale of heat for industrial processes or agriculture, or mineral extraction from geothermal fluids.”
While we’ve made so much progress in the last 20 years in reducing the carbon content of electricity … there’s been so little progress with heat. If you look at a domestic setup, 80 per cent of the energy used is heat, not electricity. So actually, the ability to generate clean heat is really important.”
Law says the site will be up and running “in the second half of 2022”. A power purchase agreement to buy the electricity once it is online was agreed with the green energy company Ecotricity in 2020.
But when the energy from those hot rocks begins to be harvested, there likely won’t be anything much to see. Just the neat slotting in of another cog in the wheel towards a green energy future.
https://www.positive.news/environment/energy/uks-first-deep-geothermal-energy-project-gathers-steam/
Doug Parr, Policy Director at Greenpeace, commented:
“Aside from providing clean, reliable, renewable electricity, geothermal has its own distinct advantages – advantages that neatly fill some of the gaps in current policy. It is a source of renewable heat, lower carbon than trying to integrate hydrogen into our gas supply, and it can provide good quality employment in its local area, helping to distribute the economic benefits of decarbonisation. And that economic opportunity could be built on – geothermal power is an increasingly attractive option in many parts of the world, the potential market is huge and the UK has plenty of geologists and engineers with drilling expertise and limited prospects in their current industry. This is a technology perfectly tailored to meet the challenge of decarbonising without leaving oil and gas workers behind.”
Germany’s use of deep geothermal energy reduced the country’s emissions by more than 1.7 Mt CO2 equivalent in 2017. In addition, there is the creation of skilled jobs, the industry is estimated to have created more than 22,000 jobs and added €13.3 billion to the German economy since 2000.
The success of geothermal developments in countries such as Germany, France and the Netherlands is closely linked to their governments’ commitment to supporting this technology through policies, regulations, incentives and initiatives. This success is specifically linked to the availability of a long-term, stable regulatory framework and the willingness of the state to share economic risks during the early stages of development.
Michael Chendorain, Associate Director at ARUP, said that UK can match or even surpass this success should the Government provide the right support package: “The UK’s deep geothermal resources are proven and can play a key role in decarbonising heat which makes up around 40% of the UK’s energy consumption and nearly a third of UK greenhouse gas emissions. Homes, universities, hospitals, and a broad range of industries can all benefit from a deep geothermal revolution but this will require Government support.”
https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/geothermal-for-economic-decarbonisation-opportunities-uk/
£100m divided by 12 projects = £8.3m for each project.
The report estimates that, should the Government establish a Geothermal Development Incentive, 12 deep geothermal projects could be operational by 2025, creating 1,300 jobs and generating more than GBP100 million (approx. USD 140 million) of investment.
...............................
Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, Chief Executive of the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), said: “As this report demonstrates, deep geothermal must be central to the Government’s energy policy for the next 30 years, but with real and tangible benefits in the immediate future.
“Deep geothermal has the potential to become a world leading industry here in the UK, provide a stable transition away from oil and gas, and help meet the Government’s net zero ambitions by decarbonising heat on a mass scale. It would also create 1,000s of new jobs and generate tens of millions of pounds in new investment.
“The REA believes that urgent work is required to aid the roll out of all heat technologies, however, with the right support from the Government, deep geothermal will play a major role in Britain’s heat generation for decades to come.”
There is a significant opportunity to create a world leading geothermal industry in the UK which could export internationally in terms of expertise, as with the North Sea. As the Government looks to deliver a ‘green recovery’ and meet their net zero ambitions, deep geothermal would act as a catalyst for new green jobs and investment, particularly in towns and cities in the North of England, Midlands and South-West.
This week in Parliament, Dr Kieran Mullan, Member of Parliament for Crewe and Nantwich, urged the Prime Minister to get behind the report and its proposals. He said: “As we recover from the huge economic challenges of the lock down we need to grab every opportunity available. We have the chance here to turbo charge investment, often in places in the North like Crewe which are at the heart of the levelling up agenda. We can create new skilled jobs and importantly, sustainable green jobs which are so important now.”
“We have lagged too far behind for too long in this area and now as the whole economy pivots, we can’t afford to fall further behind.”
Professor Iain Stewart, UNESCO Chair in Geoscience and Society; Professor of Geoscience Communication at the University of Plymouth, also added his support: “Exploiting the natural heat from deep beneath our feet seems to me to be a no-brainer. Its clean, green and renewable and can really support the push to reach the UK’s net-zero climate targets. What’s more, there’s a window of opportunity for the UK to be a technical leader in this emerging energy field, which has got so much potential globally.”
"They could consider a 250kW wind turbine, but somehow I think the neighbours will object to a structure with a central tower that is 30m high and has a rotor radius of 15m that will be there all the time."
especially immediately north of Gatwick airport and it's radar systems............
UKOG are looking at "the addition of 250 kW of photovoltaic solar power and 100kW of battery storage" to the HH site.
So just for giggles, I looked up how much area the solar panels would take and according to the website below, it would be 2,500 sqm - or about 10% of the current wellsite.
http://www.suncyclopedia.com/en/area-required-for-solar-pv-power-plants/
According to this lot;
https://www.expertsure.com/uk/home/commercial-solar-panels/
a 250 kW photovoltaic system ( I scaled up the 50kW price) would cost over £300k and take 20 years to pay back.
According to this lot;
https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2018/07/solar-battery-storage-system-cost#cost
it looks like 100kW of battery storage would cost around £50k and have to be replaced at least once during the 25 year lifetime of the solar cells.
So is a system that takes up 10% of the available land and (excluding the battery pack) won't pay itself back for 20 years really right for HH?
I doubt it.
They could consider a 250kW wind turbine, but somehow I think the neighbours will object to a structure with a central tower that is 30m high and has a rotor radius of 15m that will be there all the time.
After all, SCC objected to a 45m tall drilling rig that was only going to be in place for a maximum of 3 months at Loxley....
", the batteries will store overproduced power and release into the grid"
Bill Gates in his book doesn't think batteries will make much difference - too expensive, too many strange minerals from stranger places required and it's old technology
Just another name for keeping the lights on and the gravy flowing with this lifestyle company. Imo.
If the company would give more information as to what these various new ventures involve in terms of the current sites, new sites, costs and expertise, rather than just mentioning these were things they were evaluating. Anyone can look at a lot of things they can't afford or aren't able to do.
But if all it is is:- 'we are actively evaluating the addition of 250 kW of photovoltaic solar power and 100 kW of battery storage to reduce site energy consumption, CO2 emissions and operating costs, further underpinning long term site economic value and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Alongside this we have also invested in a scoping study aimed at cogeneration and standalone geothermal energy at Horse Hill.' then although a worthy objective it isn't exactly likely to be transformational unless they're planning a couple of 5km wells (£?mm).
Then it would be possible to understand how realistic (or even what) these objectives are.
Not that long ago HH was going to be producing power for the grid from gas to wire, now are they generating enough to partially power the site if they are considering some solar?
Looking at the July 2021 Corporate Presentation (presumably touted round for the placing) no mention of these fantastic future opportunities. Could it be the sort of scattergun approach to projects that looks like (and quite possibly is) desperation, or they aren't worth mentioning?
Well said wiz, eu...the ones who said they didn't ban dredging....they just wouldn't give a "lysonce" (thank you clousoe) to do it).......let's get on with everything now...p.s.......I think Surrey c.c. may still be "European 's".....next on the list boys.....'ave it!
ocelot
You may well be right about the net zero target ambitions & it is part of the reason that the target is set to be achieved by 2050.
National energy policies are not decided by flipping a coin & saying this will happen today, tomorrow or next week & the oil & gas licence sales made by the government & the policies & the licences that have previously been sold have a mandate.
The key question for me now with UKOG's announcement is what incentives the UK government are going to provide to the companies who purchased the licences not only to produce much needed indigenous oil & gas which will reduce emissions compared to imports. I also has the power provide aid & incentives for gas production & carbon capture for hydrogen production.
If the UK government wants to help the development of geothermal energy from the existing licences or future licence sales it can now act without European interference to keep the lights on, wheels turning while keeping homes & business warm in the UK.
Ocelot, the govt. are trying too hard to please the xr loonies, they are just like the naysayers on here concentrating on what they say they're not seeing and ignoring what is happening....well they won't see anything if they keep their eyes shut.....it's happening but everything takes time.....they're like spoilt kids, stamping their feet and rolling on the floor screaming "I want it now" .......we can wait.....they can't
Thank you for your message, Ozzy52.
The government's net zero emissions target is ambitious.
Have they thought through the implications of their target? Almost certainly not.
UKOG is quite right to begin to position itself in that perspective.
It’s all about the availability of money, isn’t it? UKOG hasn’t got any, the shareholders are jaded. The amounts of money required for the building of geothermal plants etc. are far beyond their ability to raise. That leaves the public purse. But why would the central government or the county council want to support a company like UKOG (or Angus)? If Cornwall is as promising as these long posts below suggest, energy majors with the ability to co-invest will surely br involved, and preferred?
Re long term green energy, hydrogen can be produced at local level with solar/wind power and stored under pressure. There’s a lot of wind in Cornwall and a lot of mines that could be converted to hydrogen storage. This would be available on demand and would lose nothing in its storage or distribution . It’s the obvious long-term choice for transport purposes, cooking etc.
UKOG is all about Turkey. If the current well is a duster, there is likely to be a sharp de-rating of the shares, in my view. How they will then raise money for further wells is a matter for speculation.
Battery storage plants
Ocelot, wind farms will become 100% efficient when battery storage plans currently being built are completed, the batteries will store overproduced power and release into the grid when needed, there are plans.for 250 turbines offshore off Hornsea on the east coast, they are currently preparing infastrstucture for bringing the cables onshore at Barmston
Nevertheless, as SSE's trading statement of 22/07 showed, the UK's wind and sun are not entirely reliable sources of energy, so the hunt is on for other sources:
Output of electricity from renewable sources in which SSE has an ownership interest across the UK and Ireland was 403GWh, or around 19%, below plan in the quarter to 30 June 2021, mainly due to weather conditions.
Good grief, talk about reading but not understanding what it means - Mm is the poster child for that.
Unfortunately any Geothermal heat map of Europe will show that the UK is resource poor when it comes to Geothermal energy.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Geothermal+energy+map+of+Europe&t=chromentp&atb=v241-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fgeodh.eu%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F07%2FMapshot.png
Much of what can be extracted is only good for district heating schemes, or greenhouse heating for crops.
As for UKOG, they have said that they are looking at their own locations - i.e. BB & HH.
BB might be good for district heating, but HH isn't even useful for that - it's simply not hot enough.
Ibug, on the previous Geothermal thread a few days ago, provided a link to the main Company involved in UK Geothermal (not CeraPhi - yet) and they stated that as far as the UK is concerned, there is very limited opportunity to repurpose Onshore O&G Wells and current Wells could only be repurposed economically if they didn't have to be sidetracked or reperforated & had a long production life left.
So BB might - just - fit into that category, but not HH.
All the stuff that Mm is posting is just Companies pitching for Govt subsidies without being honest about the actual costs.
There are numerous Geothermal plants all over the World that are producing energy very cost effectively, but they are in paces where the geothermal gradient is much higher than exists anywhere in the UK.
MM,
but you don't seem to have any analysis. Just repeating (yawn) PR about 'deep geothermal' (5km) not applicable to any UKOG sites - 'predominately in towns and cities in the North of England, Midlands and South-West.'
Your earlier post featured:-
'This means that new plants will benefit local communities by attracting new business, jobs and inward investment, as well as offering the potential for delivering local heat networks for residents.'
Think those nearby farms to HH (&BB?) would like it but there's this problem:- 'To develop each of the future geothermal power plants, two deep wells will be drilled into the granitic rock beneath the site, the deepest of which will reach upwards of 4.5 kilometers.'
So are UKOG with their vast experience of geothermal going to raise the tens of millions required to set up a new site in Cornwall (maybe with Angus?) with all the infrastructure required?
Its all pie in the sky - just like the 8 sites across the HH licences.
yep, but certainly one to keep an eye on...i had no idea of how big Geothermal could be in potentially providing the UK with so much green and renewable energy for so many years to come, and so a big positive for Ukog to align themselves at this early stage and perhaps in the not too distant, appease many of the objections for their existence in the Uk...in the meantime looking forward to any news from Basur-3 that might be reported this coming week, along with the Loxley appeal that gets underway 27th July ( no decision date confirmed as yet ). Gla Holders ;-)
Geothermal in terms of failing small cap AIM oilers means only one thing, and sadly that is a desperate attempt to kick the can yet again as far down the future road as possible.
It's been entirely unsurprising to see both UKOG and its near-identical twin ANGS both trying to nail their colours to the geothermal bandwagon almost simultaneously. As long-term holders in both companies know to their cost, both outfits realised at the same time that the wheels had entirely fallen off their long-touted Weald oil fairytale and hence one headed in a desperate dash off to Lincolnshire and the other headlong to Turkey. They both have to have fresh stories to peddle after all.
But as they've both realised, geothermal provides much better grounds for spinning myths. Unlike the Weald (or Saltfleetby or Basur, for that matter), if investors can be persuaded yet again to shovel in more cash on the basis of geothermal, it'll take many years (and many millions of pounds) before either company gets found out.
Having said that, it's all rather moot. Such i,s the market's deep ingrained (and utterly justifiable) cynicism about all things UKOG/Steve and ANGS/George that, unless Basur and Saltfleetby produce commercially viable quantities of oil and gas respectively, neither company will be around to promote the latest geothermal Pied Piper tune. As everyone with any objectivity knows, both Steve and George are firmly in the last chance saloon and have both made their last desperate throw of the dice.
It remains to be seen if either will at last manage to roll a double six. But not if history is anything to go by, since both companies have repeatedly only ever come up with snake eyes.
AIMO of course and DYOR indeed.
" should the Government establish a Geothermal Development Incentive"
best ask if Mr Sunak is ready to raise taxes then.......................
Of course i've read it penguins, and it's been an education...i had no idea on how big Geothermal could be......this the one that you should digest. Gl ;-)
14 May 2021
A report released by the UK based association REA and ARUP highlights the economic decarbonisation opportunities represented by geothermal energy in the UK.
The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) and ARUP have published their ‘Deep Geothermal Energy: Economic Decarbonisation Opportunities for the United Kingdom’ report which underlines the environmental and economic potential of deep geothermal. It has the backing of over 30 businesses, academics, NGOs and industry experts. The report will be introduced in an upcoming webinar on May 19, 2021, as we reported.
The report estimates that, should the Government establish a Geothermal Development Incentive, 12 deep geothermal projects could be operational by 2025, creating 1,300 jobs and generating more than GBP100 million (approx. USD 140 million) of investment, predominately in towns and cities in the North of England, Midlands and South-West. The scheme would provide a catalyst to the industry, with 360 sites being established by 2050. This would provide an additional GBP1.5 billion (approx. USD 2.1 billion) of investment, 10,000 direct jobs and 25,000 indirect jobs, and an annual carbon saving of 3 megatons.
Deep geothermal energy is a space efficient utility scale renewable heat resource that can be deployed in urban areas, specifically with the potential to heat thousands of large commercial and other properties for generations. Heat accounts for around 40% of the UK’s energy consumption and nearly a third of UK greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that there is currently enough deep geothermal heat energy to supply all of the UK’s needs for at least 100 years.
https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/geothermal-for-economic-decarbonisation-opportunities-uk/
Did MM read that stuff.
Perhaps a read of this might help rather than PR from companies (and 'associations) raising money (and subsidies) on the back of geothermal.
https://www.bgs.ac.uk/geology-projects/geothermal-energy/
A short but informative analysis of potential areas, and what's required.
Scoff as much as you like, but Ukog is clearly making plans to be part of the geothermal revolution that could have a significant impact on UK's energy requirements for many years to come, green energy at that!!!......so what exactly is it that bothers the detractors so much in ukog's Geothermal propects and potential in this fledging industry with so much promise? Gla Holders....those that are blinkered and bitter and twisted on anything Ukog can't see past their noses...ha ha ha ha ...;-)
21/4/21
GEAA's mission is to advocate increased awareness of and investment in geothermal energy as a key sustainable source for zero-carbon electricity, heat, hot water. As reported in UKOG's latest Annual Report, the Company plans to be increasingly active in this newly-emerging sector, where we possess the key subsurface, engineering and commercial skills necessary to make such projects work.
UKOG is actively scoping two new standalone geothermal projects in the UK, together with a hybrid geothermal, solar and battery storage project at our Horse Hill site. We also plan to review geothermal opportunities onshore Turkey once our forthcoming Basur-3 appraisal well has been completed.