"The United Downs deep geothermal plant, located just outside of Redruth, will produce enough electricity to power 10,000 homes. The project works by drawing water from an underground reservoir more than three miles (5.2 km) beneath the surface. This water reaches the surface at around 190°C (374°F), at which point it is run through a heat exchanger to create steam and drive an electric turbine."
"The result is an effectively 'free' source of power that produces electricity around the clock, no matter the weather, for about 96 per cent of the year. The water is then fed back into the ground through a second well, where it filters through natural cracks and eventually recharges the reservoir."
"Drilling over three miles into the ground and injecting water into fractures in the rock has the almost inevitable consequence of producing tremors. For two days in 2020, GEL induced 15 mini-quakes of magnitudes up to 1.5 as it was carrying out drilling at United Downs. Residents nearby reported that their windows rattled and they heard a sound like a heavy thunderstorm."
The United Downs deep geothermal plant near Redruth represents Britain's first operational geothermal power facility. The system extracts water from underground reservoirs over three miles deep, reaching surface temperatures of 190°C. This heat drives turbines to generate electricity continuously, regardless of weather conditions, with approximately 96% annual uptime. Water is recycled back underground through natural rock fractures to recharge the reservoir, creating a sustainable energy source. However, the drilling and water injection process induces seismic activity. Previous operations at United Downs triggered 15 mini-earthquakes up to magnitude 1.5, while similar projects elsewhere caused magnitude 1.6 tremors, raising concerns about earthquake risks as geothermal energy expands.
Read at Mail Online
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