Shift Geothermal, a non-profit organisation of academics and energy sector specialists, is launching a bid to establish a new national centre for geo-energy to realise the potential of an untapped UK energy source.
It believes the legacy of geological resources from the UK’s hydrocarbon production can be repurposed to produce geo-energy, delivering a low-cost, clean and plentiful primary energy source, but argues that a lack of collaboration and coordination in the UK is undermining progress.
The Aberdeen-based group forecasts that geo-energy - where energy is harnessed from the sub-surface - could deliver up to 25% of the UK’s energy mix by 2050, with government commitment and a strategic approach to sharing research to propel innovation and pilot projects.
The organisation involves experts from Heriot-Watt, Durham and Manchester universities, along with several Scottish energy sector leaders.
Dr Alison Auld, a director at Shift Geothermal, said: “Geo-energy has huge potential in the UK, but this has been largely overlooked and we now risk being left behind in terms of both investment and projects despite that potential.
“The future energy mix will be increasingly diverse, and technologies must be accelerated to rapidly enable sources of net zero carbon energy.
“People all too often think of Iceland and volcanoes when they think of geo-energy, but the technology has moved on.”
Geothermal power's installed capacity has grown by approximately 75% in the last five years, accompanied and aided by similarly rapid development of geothermal technology that can effectively generate power from relatively low temperatures, in turn increasing the number of viable sites - including existing oil and gas production facilities.
The UK Government’s recent Net Zero Strategy outlined how the country will unlock an investment of £90bn by 2030, to secure 440,000 jobs in green industries and pull through low carbon technologies and sectors to maturity and scale.
Shift Geothermal is seeking government and industry support to accelerate coordinated research and act as a catalyst for projects.
Jon Gluyas, executive director of the Durham Energy Institute, said: “The UK has an opportunity to be a leader in how it recycles and repurposes its existing oil and gas infrastructure.
“Why charge ahead with decommissioning when we can rethink the future offshore sector and create new value by creating geo-energy hubs that provide clean power to existing oil and gas platforms, bring power to the shore and safeguard and create many thousands of jobs. It’s simply too big a resource to be ignored.”
A recent report from consultancy firm Arup on the potential for onshore geothermal in the UK estimated a requirement for 15,000 direct jobs and 25,000 indirect jobs.
Shift Geothermal believes the potential for offshore roles to be even larger. Currently the UK petroleum industry employs 37,000 directly and a quarter of a million people in the supply chain.
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