- The National Geothermal Centre aims to advance geothermal heat and electricity to decarbonise the future energy mix
- Building on the early success of Eden Geothermal’s operational site at the Eden Project and other projects in Cornwall, the UK’s geothermal sector could generate 50,000 jobs and avoid 10 million tonnes of CO₂ annually
The National Geothermal Centre (NGC) has been launched with funding from Durham University, Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), SHIFT Geothermal and The Reece Foundation.
The NGC aims to accelerate the UK geothermal sector by stimulating and supporting research and innovation, transitioning and developing expertise, and driving the creation of a policy, regulation and investment framework which enables geothermal advancement.
The new Centre will drive collaboration between government, industry, and academia, championing the integration of geothermal energy into the future renewable energy mix, as a low carbon option for heating homes and industries, and power generation.
The geothermal sector has the potential to be a significant contributor to the UK’s energy targets and economy, meeting 10GW of the projected heating demand and 1.5GW of the anticipated electricity demand by 2050. Geothermal expansion could create 50,000 jobs for the future and result in an annual reduction of 10 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
The centre is now actively seeking sector engagement to accelerate the uptake of geothermal projects across the UK.
Visit the NGC website at National Geothermal Centre (ukngc.com)
Gus Grand, Chief Executive at Eden Geothermal, said: “Geothermal energy has been the sleeping giant of the Renewable Energy sector in the UK. Cornwall has set the ball rolling with deep geothermal sites at the Eden Project and United Downs, we now welcome the new UK National Geothermal Centre as an industry voice to champion the development of the geothermal sector across the UK.
Anne Murrell, Director at the NGC, said: “Geothermal energy is the foundation of energy security in the UK. It is an inexhaustible source of clean heat and power beneath our feet. The new UK National Geothermal Centre will work to unearth geothermal energy.
Already in the UK geothermal projects are providing stable, low-cost, green energy to homes and businesses. With its expert stakeholders from industry, academia, finance and government, the NGC will expand geothermal development, at speed and at scale.”
Nigel Lees, Chair of the NGC, said: “The launch of the National Geothermal Centre today represents a significant step in realising the opportunities that geothermal energy provides the UK. For several decades there has been a growing and meaningful contribution to our understanding of geothermal potential in the UK, yet we remain in the nascent stages of development with pockets of knowledge and expertise.
The Centre will embrace and build on this, working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure a common understanding of the opportunities and challenges whilst giving a consistent voice and advocacy to fully unlock the geothermal potential in the UK and play a crucial part in the delivery of our net zero ambitions.
I am honoured to serve as Chair of the National Centre and looking forward to working with the board, the executive, and our stakeholder community in the realisation of our collective vision.”
