Garden Office Blog

Eco-village to get pioneering geo-thermal energy

By Steven Willis on 2nd February, 2010

A planned eco-village in County Durham is set to be the site of a pioneering geo-thermal energy system designed at Newcastle University, it has been reported. The development at Eastgate in Weardale is located on the site of a granite hotspot which will be used as a source of renewable energy for local homes and businesses, with the help of a cutting-edge system.

The process, developed by scientists and engineers at Newcastle University, involves drilling a twin borehole system into the rock that will be used to cycle groundwater up to a kilometre underground, powering a dedicated plant. As well as generating renewable energy the system will be able to create a natural spa as a by-product, further enhancing the profile of the eco-village.

In development since 2006, the geo-thermal project had been put on hold as the wider planning permissions for the eco-village were approved.

The system could be the model for other 'hotspots' of similar geology around the UK if it proves to be successful. Although the rock formation is relatively rare in this country, some examples are known to be of a far larger size than that at Eastgate, raising the possibility of a high capacity plant powered by the technology.

The emergence of the process highlights the massive potential of geo-thermal energy and its suitability for residential applications, as well as the ongoing possibility of pioneering renewable systems to be developed.


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