Exergy will design, build and instal the power plant at Geothermal Engineering Ltd’s (GEL) United Downs site in Cornwall.
The geothermal site will utilise the naturally heat producing granite which underlies most of Cornwall. Two deep, directional wells have been drilled; the production well to a measured depth of 5,275m and the injection well to 2,393m. Naturally heated geothermal fluid will be pumped to the surface, passed through the power plant to produce electricity, then returned underground via the injection well where it will percolate through the granite to reheat.
As well as baseload electricity, the deep geothermal project will provide up to 10MWth of zero carbon heat for a large housing development at Langarth Garden Village, a project being developed by Cornwall Council.
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In a statement, Luca Pozzoni, general manager of Exergy International, said: “The United Downs project will be a milestone in the development of the geothermal industry in the UK and will give us the valuable opportunity to contribute with our technology and expertise to kick-starting geothermal power generation in the country. Under a structured long-term agreement with GEL, we will be able to partner for the development of future geothermal initiatives to unlock Europe’s largely untapped geothermal potential and support the decarbonisation of our energy systems.”
Exergy said its technology will utilise the highly efficient Radial Outflow Turbine to produce electricity by exploiting the heat of the geothermal fluid. The condensing system will be air-cooled to avoid any water consumption and being a closed loop cycle, the power plant will not release any vapour into the atmosphere. The system will be delivered in 18 months, with commissioning of the plant expected by late 2024.
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