Development and Deployment of Deep Geothermal Single Wells in the UK

Abstract

Policies within the European Union are encouraging member States to reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions associated with the production of electricity and heat. Overall, in Europe, residential heat demand accounts for approximately 35% of the entire annual energy consumption. There is therefore a focus on promoting renewable heat technologies. Such technologies include Ground Source Heat Pumps, Biomass and Deep Geothermal heat.
Deep geothermal heat has not, to date, contributed meaningfully to the overall renewable heat supply in Europe. This is particularly true in the United Kingdom, where there is only one geothermal heat network in operation. This lack of deployment has been due to the geographical distribution of suitable geothermal aquifers, the high cost of drilling to suitable depths, the paucity of deep geological data and, more recently, permitting/ seismicity issues. To enhance the overall development of the deep geothermal resource, Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) was funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in the United Kingdom to design and test new methods of extracting deep geothermal heat from “single” wells. This paper reports on the progress to date with the “single” well concept, the field trial in 2014, and future installations in the UK via Geon Energy Ltd, a joint venture between GEL and Ove Arup and Partners.