Installation of geothermal heat system starts at Eden Project

Eden Geothermal Project, website snapshot

Carlo Cariaga 11 Jan 2022

Eden Geothermal has announced that installation work has started on the heat main for the Biomes, greenhouses, and other buildings of the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK. This development follows the successful drilling of the project’s first well back in November 2021, as we reported.

Installation of the heat main is expected to take around 6 months for two teams. It will consist of two parallel 6-inch steel pipes (one for supply and one for return) each covered with thick insulation. They will run below the ground of the Eden Project estate for a total distance of 1.4 kilometers.

As Eden Geothermal disclosed, the heating system will consist of three closed loops:

• The first loop is formed by hot water from the well which will be brought to the surface of the system. Heat from this water will be extracted by a heat exchanger, after which the newly cooled water will circulate back to the underground.
• The new heat main that is being built will be the second closed loop. Heat from the first heat exchanger will be transported to the Eden energy center on the main Eden Project site via this heat main.
• Another heat exchanger at the Eden energy center will extract heat from the heat main and transfer it to the distribution system for the Biomes and buildings in the Eden Project site. This will be the third closed loop of the system.

The installation of the heat main is part of Phase 1 of the Eden Geothermal Project. From a single deep well, heat will be extracted to provide direct heating to the facilities at Eden. This will demonstrate the benefits of reducing greenhouse gases and show the long-term viability of a two-well system. Should this phase be successful, the project is anticipated to move into Phase 2 – the subsequent drilling of a second well and the construction of a combined heat and power plant.

Source: Eden Geothermal