CHP support experts Gen-C will showcase their range of engine control and optimisation solutions at the World Biogas Expo in July. Covering four key areas – parts, controls, upgrades, and asset supply – Gen-C and its network of engine partners will be on hand to explain to biogas plant operators how to cut CHP downtime, increase operational efficiency and “take full control of their own engine”.

Instant restarts
“The theme of our stand this year is ‘Take Control’,” says James Thompson, Managing Director of Gen-C. “For too long, engine owners have been at the mercy of service providers, many of whom charge high fees to maintain and repair their CHPs yet demand long wait times for engineer callouts. The irony is that many engine interruptions are caused by minor changes in the gas composition and could be easily rectified by the plant operator themselves, if only they had the ability to access and restart their own engine. Our smart control panels allow them to do exactly that, effectively ‘unlocking’ the engine to give operators full remote control over their own asset – without the need for a service provider. We’re excited to demonstrate to plant owners the benefits that this game-changing technology can bring.”

Immediate spares
Alongside Gen-C’s smart control panel installations, which are delivered in conjunction with their technology partners Motortech and DSE, the company is also excited to promote its extensive range of engine parts and spares.

“Since Brexit, getting access to OEM parts at short notice has become increasingly difficult,” explains James. “But thanks to our partnerships with leading European manufacturers such as RS Motor and Motortech, we always have a wide range of engine spares in stock at our Yorkshire HQ, ready for immediate dispatch to our UK client base. We’ll be outlining to visitors to our stand the importance of having a quality UK distributor like Gen-C on speed dial to keep your engine running safely and smoothly.”

Smart upgrades
The firm also offers an engine upgrade service, which “brings legacy assets into the digital era at a fraction of the cost of a new CHP“. By combining a smart control panel with an engine overhaul by Gen-C’s expert engineers, operators can enjoy all the benefits of a more energy efficient, more reliable, and higher performing asset, says the group.

“Not only will engine owners experience far fewer process interruptions and increased electrical output, but our smart, data-driven upgrades also mean live monitoring, instant alerts, and the ability to track CHP performance over time, as well as supporting predictive maintenance – giving complete control to the operator, not the service provider,” adds James.

CHPs for every budget
The final focus area for Gen-C’s stand is its range of CHP engines “for every budget”.

“From brand-new large engines to smaller refurbished CHPs, and even options to rent, we can supply the right engine for your needs,” confirms James. “Working in conjunction with our partner LouwSon Energy, every CHP we supply comes with remote control and live monitoring as standard, meaning you can be sure your asset is primed for the digital era.”

To find out more about Gen-C’s range of engine control and optimisation solutions, visit stand G35 or go to www.gen-c.co.uk

At the 12 June Business Green awards in London, heat pump specialist Kensa Contracting picked up the Renewable Energy Project of the Year accolade for its retrofit project for Thurrock Council, which saw Networked Heat Pumps installed in 273 high-rise social housing flats.

Part-funded by Wave 1 of the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), the flagship project, delivered by Kensa Contracting and Thurrock Council, saw ageing electric storage heaters across three tower blocks in Thurrock, Essex, replaced with highly efficient, low-carbon networked ground source heat pumps.

Since completion, the project has cut residents’ energy bills by as much as 66%, lifting many out of fuel poverty and enabling them to heat their homes properly. Replacing electric storage heaters, which cost some residents thousands of pounds a year to run, with Kensa’s compact Shoebox heat pumps is also expected to reduce carbon emissions by 70%.

Networked Heat Pumps consist of ground source heat pumps installed in individual properties, whether flats, terraced streets, or new-build homes, connected to a shared network of underground pipework. This provides each property with low-cost, renewable heating, hot water, and cooling.

Installing this solution in 273 Thurrock flats set a blueprint for using SHDF funding to replace inefficient heating in social housing with Networked Heat Pumps. From creating new green local jobs to providing the Council with a long-lasting renewable heating system, the project delivered multiple benefits across the community.

With £1.2bn available this summer through SHDF Wave 3, social housing providers can apply for funding to make energy efficiency improvements in their properties, including replacing inefficient heating systems.

Speaking about the heating system, Thurrock resident Diane Barr said:

“The heat pump is much warmer, and the hot water is so fast compared to the old system. Plus it’s so cheap – I pay around £21 a week, and that’s with doing the washing, using the tumble-drier and dehumidifier. With the storage heaters, it cost around £70 a week, and I only used to have the heating on in three rooms, and the hot water ran out pretty quickly, so we couldn’t have a shower.”

After receiving the award, Sustainability Director at Kensa Contracting, Ieman Barmaki, said:

“It’s brilliant for this project to receive the Business Green Renewable Energy Project of the Year award. We’re incredibly proud of this installation; it’s made a huge improvement to people’s lives, it’s lowered energy bills and given residents a heating system they can afford to use.

“Networked heat pumps present an ideal solution to decarbonise complex properties like high-rise tower blocks. We’ve delivered this renewable heating system to over 1,700 high-rise social housing flats, giving long-lasting benefits for the housing providers, the residents, the community and the environment.”

]]> https://envirotecmagazine.com/2024/05/21/camden-islington-councils-adopt-industrial-infrared-heating/ Tue, 21 May 2024 19:30:08 +0000 https://envirotecmagazine.com/?p=483292

London LAs strategically collaborate on sustainable heating system for Hornsey Street Refuse & Recycling Centre

Infrared heating specialist Shadow Industrial (SI) has been chosen to refit the heating systems at the London Boroughs of Camden and Islington’s jointly-owned Hornsey Street Refuse & Recycling Centre.

The decision to use SI’s heaters was made on the recommendation of M&E contractor, Vitalenergi London, which was appointed to update the site’s HVAC.

Replacing the building’s 300m² existing AmbiRad fan heater system, at just over £25,000, the project will see Shadow Industrial fit 35 of its zero-emission, high-performance heaters across the entire facility. This comes in at a far lower cost, often a 50-75% saving, and increased efficiency than many other alternative electric heating systems.

Predicted to reduce energy consumption by 80%, this represents a landmark moment for shortwave infrared in industrial settings.

The replacement of existing heating systems with a low-cost, more sustainable alternative aligns with both Camden and Islington Council’s Climate Action Plans which seek to achieve Net Zero operational emissions by 2030.

As Graham Hughes from Islington Council says, “When Vitalenergi first introduced us to Shadow Industrial’s technology we were very impressed, particularly by its capabilities and relatively low operational costs. It’s going to make a massive contribution to our efforts, alongside Camden Council to reduce emissions. We’ll also be able to approach our heating strategy in a far more diverse way, keeping costs down and passing those savings onto taxpayers.”

The heat is on
Not only will Shadow Industrial’s heating systems shrink the centre’s carbon footprint, but it will also improve energy efficiency. This is predominantly due to the way shortwave infrared works, in contrast to traditional electric and gas-powered central heating. The technology works by emitting focused radiant heat through precisely-configured reflectors.

Essentially it heats the person, not the air around them, significantly reducing the amount of heat lost to the atmosphere. This comes into its own in large-span, high-ceilinged structures which experience heavy traffic constantly entering in and out, leading to a consistent draft. Wall-mounted or ceiling-hung, directed downwards at individuals, the energy creates a comfortable and instant warmth reminiscent of the gentle heat of the sun.

In control
Plug-and-play these lightweight heaters are easy to install and operate, compared to traditional systems, says Shadow Industrial (SI), making it possible to get a practical and scalable heating network up and running within an industrial facility quickly, with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.

And unlike most gas and electric systems, says SI, these heaters can be turned on and off on demand as and when personnel are working in specific areas across the site. The instantaneousness of the heat emitted means it can deliver maximum effectiveness at the click of a switch, and extinguish at the same rate. This means no part of the build is heated unnecessarily.

As Luke Chappell, Vitalenergi’s lead design engineer (mechanical) on the project says, “Shortwave infrared’s set to be a serious market disruptor in the industrial heating market. It’s a game-changer for local authority and public sector projects, which are both subject to strict sustainability briefs and budgetary constraints. We cannot wait to see the positive impact Shadow Industrial’s heaters will have on those working within, and managing, the Hornsey Street Refuse & Recycling Centre. The Shadow Industrial team has been amazing throughout the process and we looking forward to partnering again on future projects.”

Installation of Shadow Industrial’s new system was completed at the start of Q2 2024.

To find out more about Shadow Industrial and its shortwave infrared products click here.

The number of heat pump installations by December 2023 was less than half of planned projections; uncertainty regarding the role of hydrogen in home heating is hampering investment and effective planning, a new National Audit Office (NAO) report has found.

Home heating represents 18% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. Government sees heat pumps as the main technology to decarbonise the UK’s 28 million homes over the next decade.

The government wants to see 600,000 heat pumps installed per year by 2028 – an eleven-fold increase on 55,000 heat pump sales in 2022⁴. By 2035, government wants to see up to 1.6 million heat pumps being installed annually.

But the independent public spending watchdog says the government’s assumptions about levels of consumer demand and manufacturer supply⁵ are optimistic. The government’s flagship Boiler Upgrade Scheme has also underperformed, installing just 18,900 heat pumps between May 2022 and December 2023. DESNZ had expected the scheme would deliver 50,000 installations by this point.

A key issue behind lower-than-expected heat pump uptake is their cost to use and install. DESNZ delayed its planned work to reduce running costs, by rebalancing gas and electricity prices, for example by moving some levies and charges from electricity to gas bills⁶. The department says that price rebalancing remains an essential policy but is challenging. Heat pump installation costs also fell more slowly than DESNZ hoped.

The NAO also found that DESNZ has no overarching long-term plan to address the low levels of awareness among households about the steps required to decarbonise home heating.⁷

In response to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme’s underperformance, DESNZ increased the grant available to people replacing boilers from £5,000–£6,000 to £7,500, which has enabled some energy suppliers to offer heat pump installations starting at £500. Applications to the scheme in January 2024 increased by nearly 40% compared with January 2023, though more data is required to determine whether the change is sustained.

DESNZ is considering what role hydrogen will play in decarbonising home heating. The department has so far indicated that it will have a limited role, but it will formally take a decision in 2026.

Trials of hydrogen schemes intended to provide evidence to support the government’s decisions have been delayed or cancelled. Stakeholders told the NAO ongoing uncertainty could slow progress by limiting the ability of local authorities and industry to plan and invest.

Parts of the gas network may need to be decommissioned if natural gas is no longer in use and hydrogen is confined to certain areas of the country.⁸ DESNZ is working to develop its understanding of the consequences for gas networks of decarbonising home heating and how decommissioning could be funded.

The NAO recommends government considers providing more certainty on the role of hydrogen in home heating before 2026.

To improve its transparency and accountability on the rollout of heat pumps, the NAO says government should report its progress annually to Parliament.

The public spending watchdog is recommending government develops an overarching long-term consumer engagement plan for decarbonising home heating. And it also recommends that DESNZ accelerates its work to rebalance the cost of energy to improve heat pump uptake.

Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, commented:  “Government needs to engage every household to achieve its objective to decarbonise home heating as part of the transition to net zero. DESNZ’s progress in making households aware and encouraging them to switch to low-carbon alternatives has been slower than expected.”

“DESNZ must draw on its experience to date to ensure its mix of incentives, engagement and regulations addresses the barriers to progress in its current programme of work.”

You can read the full report here.

A group dedicated to preserving and promoting one of the most renowned collections of early medieval sculptures in Europe has been awarded a grant of £150,000 by SP Energy Networks’ Net Zero Fund to make vital sustainable upgrades to the home of the archaeological site in the heart of Govan.

Govan Heritage Trust is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of Govan Old Church – a Grade A listed building on the banks of the River Clyde – and will use the funding to install a new river source heat pump, resulting in a 93% reduction in carbon emissions and a 20% saving in energy costs.

The trust is one of the recipients of SP Energy Networks’ Net Zero Fund – a £5million funding pot designed to support vulnerable communities across Central and Southern Scotland and ensure no one is left behind on the country’s journey to net zero emissions.

Scott Mathieson, Network Planning and Regulation Director at SP Energy Networks, said: “The projects awarded in our first round of our Net Zero Fund are diverse and the ingenuity of these community led schemes is inspiring. We feel privileged to help them realise their net zero future.

“Our next funding round is now open, and we’re welcoming applications from eligible charities and community groups looking to accelerate their net zero plans.”

Following the closure of Govan Old Church in 2007, the community-run trust took over ownership of the listed building and the Govan Stones, a collection of early medieval carved stones dating back to the Viking era. Many archaeologists consider it one of the most important historic sites in Glasgow.

The stones were first discovered in the churchyard in 1855, however several were accidentally destroyed in the 1980s when they were mistaken for debris during the demolition of a neighbouring shipyard. Since then, a community effort has been placed on maintaining and restoring the site – with Professor Stephen Driscoll at the University of Glasgow leading the latest excavations just last year.

Now in community ownership, the church is currently being transformed into a museum to showcase the site’s heritage and expects to welcome over 14,000 visitors each year. The renovations will also offer a meeting space for local organisations and charities such as those catering for elderly and isolated members of the community, groups welcoming and supporting refugees, organisations working with Govan’s youth and local schools looking to learn about heritage.

Speaking on the support, Pat Cassidy, a Trustee of Govan Heritage Trust said: “The Govan Stones are one of Scotland’s most remarkable historic artifacts, and the church itself has become a landmark in the local community.

“This funding will allow us to make much-needed improvements to our current infrastructure. Not only will we be able to lower our emissions, but we’ll also benefit from a significant saving on our energy bills and be able to focus on the renovations and provide an affordable meeting space for local groups, charities, and organisations to use.

“Two of our longest-standing members, Robert and Catriona Preston, first met in the church back in 1956 when they were in the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade and even held their wedding here in 1962. To this day, they remain an active part of our community and it’s this sense of legacy that the funding will help us safeguard – ensuring both the people of Govan and visitors can make their own memories here for years to come.”

A host of charities and organisations supporting communities across Scotland have been awarded funding from SP Energy Networks’ Net Zero Fund to introduce innovative net zero technology. The groups will receive grants to help them decarbonise and reach their net zero targets sooner, with projects ranging from installation of solar panels and heat pumps to the purchase of electric vehicles and retrofitting listed buildings to increase energy efficiency.

The next round of the Net Zero Fund is now open and is welcoming applications from eligible charities and community organisations. Alongside financial support, the fund also offers guidance and support through workshops tailored to community organisations and charities looking to take the next step on their decarbonisation journey.

SP Energy Networks owns and operates the electricity transmission and distribution network in Central and Southern Scotland, delivering power to more than two million homes and businesses. The Net Zero Fund has been established through SP Transmission, a subsidiary of SP Energy Networks, responsible for transmitting high-voltage electricity from power stations and windfarms to the low-voltage network across Central and Southern Scotland.

More information about the Net Zero Fund and eligibility criteria is available at: www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/netzerofund

A white paper outlines the potential of offshore geothermal energy as a green energy resource of global significance and sets out a framework for its responsible development.

Authored by CGG, a firm providing data and services in Earth science and related areas, the document presents the group’s own research indicating the existence of vast, untapped geothermal resources along the magmatically active ocean floor spreading centres and adjacent flooded rift systems occurring in all the world’s major oceans.

These offshore areas could be optimal locations to harvest geothermal resources for power in conjunction with the co-production of freshwater, Green Hydrogen, and ammonia, collectively creating an alternative set of rapidly scalable green energy solutions. CGG has a published patent application for a novel combination of geological, geophysical, and engineering technologies to support research into and the exploration, development and monitoring of offshore geothermal resources.

With more than 25 years’ experience using its multi-disciplinary geoscience expertise and technology to undertake projects across the geothermal value chain, CGG is well placed to responsibly identify and assess the most prospective and suitable offshore geothermal locations and work with partner organizations to develop these resources. More specifically, its global geothermal data curation expertise, industry-leading subsurface imaging technology, and geological interpretation capabilities leveraging machine learning will play a key role in optimizing offshore geothermal well placement and production.

Peter Whiting, EVP Geoscience, CGG, said: “We strongly believe that geothermal energy as a baseload resource has a greater role to play in the future energy mix. The opportunity offshore geothermal resources present could be a game-changer in supporting the United Nations Development Programme’s 2023 Sustainable Development Goals including clean energy, climate action, and partnerships for sustainable development. While the patent application recognizes the exceptional work of our geothermal experts, our motivation for seeking it is to ensure that there can be rapid, responsible, and equitable development of these resources. We are delighted to publish this white paper and I’m proud that CGG will play an active role in supporting the development of this important global resource.”

Download CGG’s offshore geothermal white paper here.

Paul Spence calls for caution when it comes to promoting the idea that heat pumps should be installed regardless of a property’s energy efficiency credentials.

Following a new report from Nesta (“Insulation impact: how much do UK houses really need?”), which suggests the fabric first approach (i.e. making homes as energy efficient as possible) is not an essential part of the UK’s current stage in the heat pump rollout, I urge installers and heat pump customers to not take this as a cue to view energy efficiency upgrades as less important. Nesta’s report focuses on carbon reduction, and you can’t argue with the fact that ripping out fossil-fuel heating and replacing it with cleaner, greener heat pumps will reduce the UK’s carbon footprint.

The reality is that for most people comfort and the cost-of-living feature far higher on their agenda than cutting carbon. Let’s be clear, I am a big fan of heat pumps – as an installer and now as Technical Manager for heatly. I can’t endorse, however, the idea that we should move improvement of the UK’s woefully damp and draughty housing stock lower down the list in favour of banging in heat pumps as quickly as possible. This approach could serve to dent the reputation of heat pumps and ignores the consumers on gas that simply aren’t in a position to make the switch.

As an installer and through my Facebook Group “Heat Pumps UK”, I see first-hand the problems that arise when heat pumps are installed in very inefficient homes. One of the main problems is over-specification, which leads to higher costs and future problems. If heat loss is high, the size of the heat pump required to keep a building warm, increases. The bigger the heat pump, the more expensive it is. If, in the future the homeowner makes energy efficiency upgrades, the heat pump and ancillaries (pipes, circulators, pumps etc.) can end up being over-specified, leading to systems that use too much power and are difficult to control.

In Nesta’s report it states: “While better insulation is always beneficial with any kind of heating system, it is not an essential prerequisite for getting a heat pump. The key factors affecting a heat pump’s efficiency are system design and adequately-sized radiators. While insulation plays an important role in reducing heat demand, and can in some cases make heat pumps operate more efficiently, it is not the key factor in heat pump efficiency. Instead, having a well-designed heating system, with correctly-sized heat emitters which enable a lower flow temperature, is the most important factor behind a heat pump’s efficiency.”

This is all true, but if the energy efficiency of the house changes, as is most likely the case in poorly insulated properties, the original design will no longer be suitable.

Crucially, without a fabric first approach, energy bills will be prohibitive. One of the arguments I’ve seen to counter this is raising gas prices and reducing the cost of electricity, while everyone wants the latter to happen, it should not be at the expense of gas customers. 26 million homes are currently on natural gas, many of which are not in a position to switch to heat pump, it seems unfair that they should be penalised for something beyond their control.

This type of policy masks poor housing and poor heat pump installation by economics. We should be striving for a future where COP 4+ is the norm, which can’t be achieved without a whole house approach.

While Nesta’s report doesn’t suggest doing away with energy efficiency upgrades, I would just be cautious of the message that could be misconstrued by some readers. Where possible, ‘fabric first’ should always be the way to go. If carbon reduction by means of a swift switch to heat pumps is the only goal, homeowners and landlords will need far larger subsidies than the ones currently available, and the industry must be prepared for greater numbers of dissatisfied customers.

For the low carbon sector to thrive, quality is key – happy customers in warm homes that cost less to run. I’m excited to be working with heatly because it will make a big contribution to this goal; improving heat pump specification and installation accuracy, simplifying the associated processes for installers and making the benefits of heat pumps and supporting energy efficiency upgrades easier to understand for consumers.

The latest AI tools are being used to extend the efficiency of one of the UKs largest, oldest and most successful district energy schemes in Sheffield.

The initiative is cited as a UK first by Veolia, which is working on behalf of Sheffield City Council on the project.

Following an extensive trial and integration phase, the data driven thermohydraulic modelling tool is now being used to optimise temperature and network pressure over the 44km long network. By taking real time data from across the network, including data collection from the individual heat meters that serve connected buildings, and predicting heat demand and weather patterns, the system is set to reduce peak loads by up to 20% and increase the heat delivery capability by 25%.

Operating since 1988, Sheffield’s District Energy Network supplies low carbon energy from the Sheffield Energy Recovery Facility which transforms non-recyclable household waste to generate heat supplies for the district heating scheme. Over 50% of the heat qualifies as renewable under the Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) scheme and is fed to over 125 commercial and public sector buildings including the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield City Hall, Weston Park Hospital, the Universities and the Millennium Galleries.

To achieve the major increases in efficiency the AI software takes data inputs from multiple sources and sensors across the network, and combines this with external data, to provide full network modelling and scenario planning. The system then calculates potential heat losses in individual underground pipe sections, internal pipework in plant rooms and energy centres and optimizes the energy consumption of the buildings. This means common problems such as hydronic bottlenecks are avoided, which limits any potentially disruptive and costly retrofits on the underground heat networks, and improves fault tolerance and estimation of energy consumption.

Commenting on the extended capabilities from this technology, Donald Macphail, Chief Operating Officer – Treatment, at Veolia said

“In the UK, almost half of the final energy consumed is used as heat, and the domestic, commercial and public sectors account for two-thirds of this consumption for space heating and water heating . As we move to reduce climate impact we need to decarbonise these important heat requirements, and district heating systems are a proven technology to help reduce this carbon footprint. By integrating the network in Sheffield with the latest artificial intelligence we have advanced efficiency, and taken another important step towards a net zero future.”

In the UK Veolia currently manages the energy plant and networks across 60 sites and operates over 120 community heating schemes serving large campuses and hospitals. These distribute low carbon or renewable heat from combined heat and power plants, waste wood biomass and Energy Recovery Facilities. Globally the company currently operates around 600 district heating networks covering 7000km of heat mains.

Geothermal energy plants could address all of the UK’s heating requirements, according to a number of estimates.¹ Whatever the reality of such claims, the potential appears to be vast. Until now largely confined to geographical regions where such resources bubble up from the Earth’s surface unbidden, technology now promises to extend the frontiers of this traditionally under-utilised renewable energy source, as Envirotec discovered.

The Earth’s molten core is a hangover from the fiery processes that formed the planet, 4.5 billion years ago. Most of this heat is concentrated in the core, but the upper 3km of the crust offers enough heat to meet the world’s energy demand several times over, according to the Geothermal Energy Association.

Attempts to harness it have been faltering but have produced impressive results where the conditions permit. In Iceland, geothermal energy has seemingly transformed quality-of-life and made it one of the few countries to have greened its electricity supply.

While it’s an approach that has gained little traction during the era of increasingly affordable solar and wind, and plentiful gas supply, the times are obviously now a-changing, and September saw an apparent milestone in the UK with the award of the first Contracts for Difference (CfD) for the approach.

Emerging technology has a bearing on our ability to realise the extraordinary potential of geothermal energy in the future. But for now, the headline benefits certainly seem compelling: a seemingly unquenchable source of baseload power and heat, bypassing the intermittency issues that afflict wind and solar. Clean. Quiet. Reliable. What’s not to like?

Certainly it loses out to nuclear and fossil fuels on energy density, but it does the job for things like space and water heating, and applications like greenhouses and aquaculture.

High start-up costs are one obstacle, and have tended to restrict its use mainly to regions of the world where geothermal resources are relatively accessible and near the planet’s surface, since drilling costs are a major part of the price tag. So it’s an approach mostly associated with places like Iceland, New Zealand, the west coast of the US, Italy, and Indonesia.

But technology promises to make geothermal resources far more accessible, including in areas not graced with the ideal geology, and approaches like enhanced, or engineered, geothermal systems (EGS) are now starting to appear in commercial plants.

Deployment to date
Geothermal energy has been almost criminally under-utilised, in the appraisal of many, and it currently provides only 0.3% of global power production.²

Nonetheless its use has grown steadily in the past decade or so. But it’s remained a small sector, only really visible in the above geographies and otherwise tending to slip under the radar.

Funding has been forthcoming more recently from the oil and gas sector, and geothermal energy builds on this industry’s know-how in areas like drilling and geology. In the UK, for example, CeraPhi Energy – a Great Yarmouh-based startup formed in 2020 – announced in May that it had been awarded a first-of-its-kind funded study by the UK Net Zero Technology Centre, aiming to evaluate whether oil and gas wells in the North Sea can be repurposed in this way. The firm says its technology offers a way to retrofit existing failed or depleted wells, making them productive again in an environmentally friendly way. It also has the social impact of maintaining jobs or returning them to regions that need them.

In early 2021, Chevron and BP announced funding for Eavor, a start-up firm with capabilities in EGS – seen at the time as an important indicator of the oil sector’s focus shifting in this direction.

Eavor’s approach can be deployed in areas without natural geothermal resources, and involves drilling a deep well and connecting it to a series of horizontal boreholes. The technology circulates a heat-transfer fluid (usually water) within a closed-loop system, continuously, creating a heat exchanger that captures this heat from depth and bringing it to the surface for energy conversion. It is also said to be scalable, and therefore readily adaptable to the specific needs of each particular locale.

In March the company announced a contract for roughly $96 million from the EU Innovation Fund for a project outside Munich, the first commercial-scale project for its system.

Depth charge
Much of the truly transformative potential of geothermal appears to lie with drilling deeper and accessing higher temperature resources. As temperatures and pressures rise, water and steam start to behave differently. Water at 400ºC, for example, contains much more energy, which can be transferred more efficiently, and is a much less viscous fluid, so it’s easier to get it out of the ground.

The rate at which heat can be extracted seems to be a key determinant of the economic viability of a site.

This is the domain of “supercritical” geothermal, a technology whose potential has yet to be fully demonstrated, although groups in Iceland, for example, are said to be getting close.

Depth becomes more important too when exploiting less amenable geologies, in countries with less accessible resources.

For the UK – as one such country – progress has been faltering, but now appears to be gathering pace.

UK geothermal exploration got underway in the 1970s, responding to the international oil crisis of the time. Following this initial work, seven boreholes were drilled in the 1980s, one of which formed the basis of a successful district heating scheme, in Southampton, in 1987, which has continued to supply heat and power to commercial and public buildings in central Southampton ever since.

For this seemingly visionary move, the city has the council’s wily accountant, Mike Smith, to thank, who rescued the project after it had been abandoned by the UK government.

Twenty years elapsed before any more geothermal boreholes were drilled in the UK. Most recently, two deep geothermal wells were drilled in Cornwall, at United Downs, near the town of Redruth, with financial assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). These reach a depth of 2.5km and 4.5km respectively, and are expected to produce water at 175°C, delivering 1 MW of power.

September saw the award of the first Contracts for Difference (CfD) for geothermal energy at United Downs, viewed by the group receiving the award, Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL), as “a major milestone for home-grown power and heat in the UK.”

GEL received the awards in the UK Allocation Round 5 (AR5) process for projects at three separate plants, including the one at United Downs, which is expected to deliver electricity by 2025. The contracts will run for 15 years and are underwritten by the UK Government.

In June, the UK’s first deep geothermal project for 36 years opened at the Eden Project visitor attraction in Cornwall. Having been delayed by Brexit, Covid and supply chain issues, the project is now up and running and is expected to deliver 40% savings on heating bills that normally run up to £1 million per annum.

The right ingredients
Government support has been key to Iceland’s prodigious growth of the resource, which similarly got started in the 70s. The subsequent 30-year period saw the country transition from being 75%-reliant on imported coal to meeting more than 80% of its energy needs with local geothermal and hydro.

Today the country’s electricity is almost entirely from renewable sources, with a 70:30 split between hydropower and geothermal.

As well as becoming a leader in the underlying technology – whose expertise is now sought-after and exported worldwide – the country has also been somewhat visionary in its use of multiple resource streams from such plants (see “Circular vision” side panel, opposite).

The UK is said to be an ideal candidate for developing geothermal energy. One reason is that the resources are already well mapped, given the effort that has already gone into gathering exploration data for the oil and gas industry.

A 2021 paper explains that, for many areas of the UK, it would be technically feasible to use low enthalpy geothermal heat for space heating using district energy schemes, and recommends that development gets underway. This would provide a way to maintain the skills and know how of the oil industry, which could be used to drill wells, produce hot water from deep underground and build systems to allow the spent water to be re-injected underground.

SIDE PANEL: Harnessing steam
Geothermal power plants have traditionally fallen into three approximate moulds: Dry steam, flash steam and binary cycle plants.

Dry steam plants use the high-temperature steam from naturally-occurring, sub-surface reservoirs and use it to drive turbines.

In flash steam plants, naturally-occurring geothermal fluids (such as water or brine) in underground reservoirs rise under their own pressure, and are rapidly depressurized in a separator, causing the water to ‘flash’ into steam. The condensed steam and any residual water can be pumped back into the reservoir, so it is a renewable approach. Again, this requires a high-temperature resource (typically geothermal water at over 182 C).

Offering the potential to exploit lower-temperature resources, binary cycle plants use the geothermal fluids to heat a liquid that boils at a lower temperature. In the Geysers complex in California, for example, the secondary fluid is isobutane. At Hellisheiði Power Station in Iceland (pictured, above), the secondary fluid is a mixture of water and carbon dioxide (CO2).

SIDE PANEL: Circular vision

The Resource Park at Svartsengi – run by energy utility HS Orka – demonstrates the possibilities of co-locating firms to maximise the circular possibilities presented by facilities such as geothermal energy production.

Located within the environs of the power plant are start-up firms in areas including biotechnology, cosmetics and aquaculture, as well as a major tourist attraction, the Blue Lagoon (pictured, above).

For example, Vaxa (pictured, right) has developed a seemingly ground-breaking vertical-farming technology, “designed around everything this location has to offer”, including the availability of plentiful electricity and CO2. The firm’s space-age premises use pink LEDs in a sealed and bio-secure module to grow algae, used as a fish food and for nutritional supplements.

Also nearby is ORF Genetics, whose greenhouses grow a genetically-modified barley with applications in skincare and the cultivated meat industry.

The park is seeking to attract companies able to make use of its plentiful supplies of CO2, water (potable, brine and seawater) and energy.

The Mayor of London’s development corporation, OPDC has been awarded £36 million from the government’s Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) to harness waste heat from the cooling of several data centres.

The innovative project is the first of its kind to secure GHNF support and will provide low carbon heating captured from data centres into buildings. It forms part of a wider £65m award from the GHNF to five projects across the UK.

The network is located in the largest adopted Opportunity Area in London spanning three London Boroughs. Old Oak West, OPDC’s planned new development area, around the future Old Oak Common Station, will deliver over 9,000 homes and 250,000m2 of commercial development.

It is one of the UK’s largest and most important urban brownfield regeneration projects which includes the Old Oak HS2 and Elizabeth Line interchange. The development will have excellent connectivity for the thousands of new and affordable homes in the area and the new district heating network is key to achieving a zero carbon and sustainable new urban district.

The funding award of £36 million will support the commercialisation and construction of the district heat network. This substantial scheme is expected to deliver 95GWh of heat across 5 phases between 2026 and 2040. The Old Oak development will create 22,000 new jobs.

The Mayor of London’s Local Energy Accelerator (LEA) funding programme, which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, has also provided almost £400,000 to fund technical expertise to develop the OPDC-led heat network. The LEA, which funds the development of clean, locally generated energy projects, including heat networks, has just been extended to March 2024 with £3 million additional funding provide by the Mayor of London.

Data centres offer a predictable supply of low grade heat (between 20oC and 35oC) which is often wasted with many centre operators running inefficient plants to reject this heat into the atmosphere. As a result of this scheme, the wasted heat will instead be distributed to a number of energy centres via a plastic “ambient” network, where it will supply heat pumps that then raise the temperature to Low Temperature Hot Water “LTHW”. This will then be piped via a traditional steel network to a mixture of new and existing residential buildings.

David Lunts, OPDC Chief Executive, commented: “Recycling the huge amounts of wasted heat from our local data centres into heat and energy for local residents, a major hospital and other users is an exciting and innovative example of OPDC’s support for the Mayor’s net zero ambitions.”

“We are excited to be leading the way in developing low carbon infrastructure, supporting current and future generations of Londoners in Old Oak and Park Royal to live more sustainably.”

Jo Streeten, Managing Director, Buildings + Places – Europe and India, AECOM, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the new communities emerging within the OPDC area to lead the way in how our cities can operate more sustainably, by using the waste heat sourced from data centres.”

“An enormous amount of stakeholder collaboration and technical expertise has gone into getting us to this point, but we now have a blueprint for an innovative ambient heat network which we hope will provide a template for future developments.”

Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, said: “The Mayor has an ambitious target for London to become a net zero city by 2030 and is supporting the creation of the OPDC heat network with funding from the Mayor of London’s Local Energy Accelerator (LEA), which will help us to continue building a better, greener London for everyone.”