Successful Geothermal Symposium in London, UK

Symposium 2012 (source: EGS Energy)

Francisco Rojas 30 Oct 2013

Representatives from the finance and industry sectors, as well as the deep geothermal sector, received an update on the progress being made by geothermal projects in France, Germany and East Africa and heard about the opportunities and challenges involved with developing deep geothermal in the UK.  In presentations by Sir Tim Smit of the Eden Project and Andrew Williams of the Cornwall LEP the audience were left in no doubt as to the enthusiasm for deep geothermal in Cornwall and the willingness there to support its development.

One of the presentations was by Mark Hinton of WS Atkins plc, the design, engineering and project management consultancy, who presented a summary of the Deep Geothermal Review Study that his company had been commissioned to carry out by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.  The presentation was timed to coincide with the publication of the Study by DECC that day.

The tone of the meeting was enthusiastic for the development of deep geothermal in the UK.  EGS Energy considers the Atkins Study to be an important step forward in its drive to develop this emission-free, baseload source of non-fossil fuel energy, both for heat and for electricity.  As the Atkins Study concludes: ‘If Government determine that they wish to provide further support to the industry, a full scale power generation demonstrator project is considered currently to be a sensible future step if investment needs to be attracted.’

Guy Macpherson-Grant, Managing Director of EGS Energy, commented: “This is exactly what EGS Energy has been lobbying the Government for in recent months.  We would be delighted to welcome DECC officials to our partner’s operating deep geothermal plants in France and Germany, so that they can understand better the workings of a deep geothermal scheme and the potential for such a demonstrator project in the UK.”

The Atkins Study goes on to state: ‘…the initial priority is to prove the reserve. Therefore it is recommended that actions are taken to resolve this through:

• Establish a roadmap for deep geothermal power generation which should include clarification on geothermal rights of ownership.
• Provide a Government backed development fund to support initial project phases including drilling insurance and to finance deep boreholes for research and development (to be undertaken by academic or professional institutions and organisations such as joint industry projects in collaboration with the British Geological Survey).
• In addition, the strike price for geothermal energy should be fixed at a rate for sufficient time to make such schemes attractive to investors, particularly large financial institutions looking to make long term investments.’

At the Second UK Deep Geothermal Symposium in October 2012 that was organised by EGS Energy, Greg Barker, Minister for Climate Change, had committed to considering a proposal from industry as to how to develop deep geothermal in the UK.  The Atkins Study was commissioned by DECC in February 2013 as a result.

Roy Baria, Technical Director of EGS Energy Ltd, confirmed: “We were pleased to get the opportunity to contribute as part of the industry consultation for the Atkins Study.  We are happy that the experience of the EGS Energy team, originally gained during the 1980s from the Hot Dry Rock research project in Cornwall and subsequently in developing three commercial deep geothermal projects in France and Germany, seems to have been taken on board.  We are looking forward to reviewing the detail of the Atkins Study but the conclusions above should be difficult for DECC to ignore.”

For the Atkins Study, see:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deep-geothermal-review-study

Source: EGS Energy Website