Geothermal research supported at Keele University in Cheshire, UK
Keele University chapel (Source: Flickr, CC, by altogetherfool)
Francisco Rojas
6 Jan 2015
The £88,000 grant is the result of a new partnership between Cheshire East Council and Keele University to assess if geothermal energy can be a viable source of power in the area.
Local news from Chesire in the UK state that the Government has agreed to fund a study into whether Cheshire East could generate long-term, renewable energy from geothermal power.
The £88,000 grant is the first fruit of a new partnership between Cheshire East Council and Keele University, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding covering work on renewable energy.
PhD students at Keele will carry out extensive research into the technical and economic aspects of the project, which would entail drilling down up to 5km and extracting water heated by the earth’s core at temperatures around 100 degrees Celsius.
The British Geological Survey has identified the Cheshire Basin, near Crewe, as only one of six deep geothermal resources in the UK.
There is potential to generate about 100 gigawatt hours a year within a 2.5km radius of the proposed site in Leighton West.
This would be enough to provide every resident in the UK with a daily hot shower – for the next 142 years.
Leader of the Council Michael Jones said: “This is an important agreement for the Council and demonstrates yet again our flexibility, innovation and teamwork when it comes realising our ambitions.”
Source: Chesire Today
