Drilling at Eden Geothermal project in Cornwall underway

Drilling rig at Eden Project, Cornwall (source: screenshot, YouTube/ Fully Charged Show)

The drilling work for the Eden geothermal project in Cornwall, England continues with a target depth of 4,500 metres. As reported locally, on August 9, 2021, the drilling reached a depth of 2,2500 metres so half of the targeted depth, with a daily drilling depth of around 70 metres per day … so should have progress another 700 metres or so since.

The target depth is planned to be reached in about 2.5 months. Temperatures recorded so far in the “high heat producing granite”, the staff is confident a heat in the range of 170-190 degrees Celsius can be reached.

With the first well drilled, it is planned to insert a coaxial heat exchanger, inject water into the well that is then superheated by the hot granite below. Initially the extracted heat will be heating the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes, offices, kitchen and greenhouses of the Eden park. The used water will then be reinjected.

Geoscience Ltd is sampling mineralogy throughout the project building its work also on the experience gained from the other geothermal project in Cornwall.

A second will is then planned to be drilled after the success for the first phase of the project. It is then planned to provide heating to the Eden Project, but also neighbouring industries.

The developer Eden Geothermal Limited (EGL), is a partnership between Eden Project Limited, EGS Energy Limited, and BESTEC (UK) Limited, affiliated with German company BESTEC GmbH.

The project’s drilling campaing for the first well was financed by GBP 17 million funding from a combination of European Regional Development Fund, Cornwall Council and commercial funding from GCP Infrastructure Investments Limited, an investment trust advised by Gravis Capital Management Ltd.

Check out this video with a great in-depth look at the Eden Project and the potential of geothermal more widely – not to mention an insider’s view of operations on the rig.

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Source: Business Cornwall