The UK’s first geothermal plant to be built underground.
Stockport Road, Ardwick, Manchester (source: flickr/ Gene Hunt, creative commons)
Francisco Rojas
18 Oct 2013
E.ON and GT Energy will spearhead the project at 3,200 m under Manchester.
Next week, an Irish company will most likely get the go-ahead to start the construction of the plant in Ardwick in Manchester.
GT Energy, the operator for this project wants access the how water at 3,200 metres below the city by drilling two operational wells. The rationale behind this project lies on the principles of reducing carbon emissions and also helping reduce costs for the local population in heating bills. In order to achieve this. GT Energy has joined E.ON.
It is expected that the plant will need half an acre of land and around 18 months to be operational. This action is an attempt to follow suit with other European cities who enjoy the benefits of geothermal power.
There is only one other similar plant in the UK, in Southampton, yet the new project is much more ambitious regarding the size of the plant. It is interesting to mention that this plant will be used for hot water purposes.
Source: Young Engineers Website
