S. Himmelstein | June 21, 2023
The first system in the U.K. to extract geothermal heat and provide low-cost heating for nearly 4,000 homes is one of seven innovative projects backed by the government’s Green Heat Network Fund.
The Langarth Deep Geothermal Heat Network will involve drilling to a depth of 5,275 m to capture heat from
The United Downs geothermal site. Source: Geothermal Engineering Limited granite rocks beneath the United Downs Industrial Site in Cornwall. The project is expected to help pave the way for low-carbon technologies, such as air source heat pumps, to be delivered at scale and established as a central source of energy. Two deep, directional wells have successfully been drilled: the production well to a depth of 5,275 m — the deepest in the U.K. — and the injection well to 2,393 m.
The geothermal energy will be piped around the local region to provide hot water and heating for homes and public facilities. This first deep geothermal district heating network in the U.K. is expected to be connected by 2027.
The proposed heat network will save an estimated 5,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide equivalent for Langarth Garden Village compared to the alternative of an air source heat pump for each home.
