The Manhay project will be GEL's third site in Cornwall in the UK, in addition to the United Downs plant near Redruth and the Penhallow plant. The project is set to begin in late 2023 subject to all agreements and funding being in place and will take approximately thirty-six months to complete, from site preparation to producing electricity.
The Manhay site will be similar in construction to the United Downs project, featuring two deep wells. The production well will reach a depth of approximately 4500m to bring hot geothermal fluid to the surface, while the reinjection well, which will be around 3000m deep, will be used to return cooled fluid underground after it has been used to generate electricity.
Once fully operational, the proposed geothermal power project at Manhay is expected to produce 5MW of electrical energy 24/7 and 20MW of thermal energy, enough power and heat to supply more than 11,000 homes. Based on electricity generation alone, the project is expected to provide a lifetime carbon saving of more than 700,000t of CO2 compared to an equivalent gas baseline.
Ryan Law, managing director GEL, said: "By 2030, the world is estimated to require around 60% more energy. As our energy requirements continue to expand, it is imperative that we have both the investment and policy support to rapidly develop the production of renewable energy from current levels in the UK. A key part of this will be enabling sustainable, renewable baseload power sources, so we are delighted to be adding this additional site to our deep geothermal portfolio.
"The three sites we have received the planning for will be able to power over 35,000 homes. This is alongside providing heat energy for local homes and businesses and attracting important inward investment that will bring with it the potential for new jobs for the local Cornish communities".
