Geothermal Energy: A Cornish Climate Champion

In an age of technological innovations and an increase in the need for resources, resourceful and
reliable energy sources are needed now more than ever.

Geothermal energy is massively essential due to its constant ability to produce heat via the Earth's
natural inner heat flow and conduction to the crust of the Earth from the mantle.

Unlike many other renewables, such as solar or wind, that rely on weather and other intermittent
sources, this energy source is readily available at any time, so long as the geological conditions
needed for geothermal are present.

Geothermal energy is not readily available everywhere in the world. Many geological conditions are
necessary to access the Earth's heat. Proximity to subducting ridges or igneous rocks with water and
naturally occurring faults or "cracks". Cornwall has access to the latter, where The Eden Project and
United Downs have sites able to access geothermal energy with the highest temperatures in the
country.

This is available in Cornwall due to the granite outcrops deposited throughout South-West England,
with present groundwater.

In both projects, heat is extracted by drilling into a fault line and pumping groundwater into the local
granite to heat the water into steam as a heating resource for Eden's Energy Centre or to turn a
steam turbine at United Downs. After the water has cooled, it is added back into the pumped fault
line, reducing water waste.

The United Downs, alongside geothermal, also contains saturated brines with essential metals such
as lithium and tin, creating an economic opportunity for the UK in the supply of technologies.
Cornish Lithium may use "Direct Lithium Techniques" using geothermal electricity to power lithium
extraction. They plan to produce lithium hydroxide, which is crucial for green technologies such as
batteries.

"We are also evaluating the potential to utilise the heat energy contained within these geothermal
waters: co-production of lithium with geothermal heat and power represents an exciting
opportunity for low (or even net zero) carbon production of lithium."

Geothermal energy has environmental risks, such as causing minor earthquakes from drilling into
the fault lines and land subsistence caused by groundwater now flowing out of the reservoirs.
However, the earthquakes will stop after drilling, and the groundwater will cycle in a closed system.

The United Downs Project was the UK's first geothermal project. Drilling began in 2018, and in 2021,
they produced the UK's first geothermal steam. As of 2023, the power plant is still in construction.

The Eden Project started drilling in 2021 and finished in 2023, providing temperatures close to 85
degrees Centigrade that can replace greenhouse emissions to heat their biomes.

End

Sources:

 https://cornishlithium.com/projects/lithium-in-geothermal-waters/direct-lithium-
extraction/
 https://geothermalengineering.co.uk/united-downs/
 https://www.edengeothermal.com/press/the-heat-is-on/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317388065_Investigation_on_the_potential_of_
combined_heat_power_and_metal_extraction_in_Hungary