That’s the belief of technologists and academics backing the nation’s first ever National Geothermal Centre, launched today.

Based at Stockton-on-Tees and supported by the Net Zero Technology Centre, Durham University, SHIFT Geothermal, and the Reece Foundation, donors to engineering innovators in the north-east, the NGC aims to nurture Britain’s exploitation of shaft-delivered, subterranean heat by stimulating research and innovation. Developing expertise, and advising entrepreneurs and policy-makers in forming a policy, regulation and investment framework which enables geothermal advancement, are among the centre’s remit.

The new body will drive collaboration between government, industry, and academia, championing the integration of geothermal energy into the UK’s impending renewables mix, as a low carbon option to heat homes and industries and in power generation.

Britain’s geothermal centres look primarily at sinking shafts into hot rocks thousands of metres below the surface, and pumping up super-heated ground water & gases. Government sources assert that geothermal could contribute mightily the nation’s energy targets and economy, meeting 10GW of the projected heating demand and 1.5GW of the anticipated electricity demand by 2050.

The centre is now on a mission to engage with geothermal practitioners & developers, bidding to speed uptake of applicable projects.

NGC director Anne Murrell, second from right in the picture, 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 it.

“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.”

“Geothermal has been my personal passion for over 20 years”, enthused Dr Charlotte Adams, another NGC director, standing next to Murrell.  “I remain convinced of its potential for reducing carbon emissions and improving energy security.

“The timing is perfect for launching the National Geothermal Centre, it will shape and accelerate our growing geothermal sector through collaborative cross-sector working. The Centre will ultimately help to unlock geothermal for more people and secure its’ position as an essential part of our low carbon energy mix.”

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.”

Rebecca Allison, chief operations officer at the Net Zero Technology Cenre, said: “As NZTC continues to accelerate the development and deployment of key transitioning technologies, we are fully embracing the opportunities that come with the geothermal sector. We look forward to supporting the NGC, helping it drive change and form a significant contribution to an integrated energy future.”

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Star is committing a total of Euros 1.6 million to acquire a controlling 51% interest of the local parent of IGeoPen, holders of exploration rights granted by Croatia’s government for hot rock extraction under the Pannonian Basin, described by Star as “highly prospective”.

In a complex deal enabled by its own subsidiary and by privately held investment fund Peninsula International, Star and Peninsula are teaming up to bid for, and hopefully deliver on, electricity generation from drilling beneath the Basin.

Star brings its decades of experience in geological analysis, and onshore drilling in the UK for gas & oil.

Via IGeoPen, the partners have submitted three separate bids for geothermal generation to Croatia’s hydrocarbons regulator, as part of its current licencing round. Awards of five-year licences are expected later this year.  Depending on their success, Peninsula may receive up to a further €1.5 million from Star.

Croatia estimates its national potential for making electricity from its hot rocks is around 1GW.   Only one plant, the 17.5MWe Velika Ciglena station currently generates.  But 4,000 exploratory wells, many centred in the 20,000 square kilometres of the Pannonian Basin, buoy the confidence of developers and ministers.

As an EU member, and its national grid connected to ENTSO for international transmission and sales, Croatia sees the Basin as a money spinner for its own coffers and for developers. A temperature gradient 60% higher than in substrata across the rest of Europe favour the nation via its subsurface formations.

A liberalised national generating market, and 12 year contracts for difference smiling on renewable sources of power, add to the nation’s attractiveness.

Via their subsidiary Star and Peninsula already hold one licence with existing wells in situ, centred around the Ernestinovo locality, in the east of the country. One of those wells needs refurbishment and a well test to validate the resource.  The pair then expect to receive a 20-year development licence.

Based on preliminary heat reserves and well productivity estimates, Star envisages at first a 10MW  generation plant, driven by geothermal brine sourced from up to six wells. The proposed plant would connect into a major substation with 400kV transmission lines to Zagreb, Hungary, Serbia and Bosnia,

Star Energy CEO Chris Hopkinson commented: “We are very pleased to announce our first overseas investment in geothermal as we look to build momentum in this part of our business.

“Whilst the business continues to build a material pipeline of business opportunities in the UK, we identified a significant opportunity in Croatia which will allow faster development and diversification of Star Energy’s geothermal interests.

The Croatian government is actively promoting the sector with a focus on electricity production which should allow accelerated development.   The acquisition brings with it a small, but highly respected team with years of experience in Croatia including developing the Velika 1 power plant”.

By lunchtime, investors on the LSE had marked Star’s share price 2.3% lower.

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The Langarth geothermal network will involve drilling to a depth of 5,275 meters under Cornwall to extract heat from granite rocks beneath the United Downs industrial site.

It is one of seven state-of-the-art geothermal systems that will receive a share of £91 million from the government’s £288 million Green Heat Network Fund.

Heat networks take heat found underground or use excess heat generated through manufacturing or waste management, and supply heating and hot water to homes and businesses through a connected network.

This allows them to ditch fossil-fuel burning gas and oil boilers, which helps cut costs and reduce carbon emissions. The projects will boost the UK’s energy security and independence, with the schemes expected to create hundreds of new, skilled jobs.

Among the seven ground-breaking projects to benefit from the latest round of funding are:

• The development of a heat network in Goole, using excess heat generated by a local manufacturing plant to supply heating to local homes and businesses, creating 40 jobs.
• The expansion of a heat network in East London to heat to two new estates at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, serving around 500 new homes and 250 non-domestic premises.

Lord Callanan, minister for energy efficiency and green finance, said:   “These innovative projects will not only benefit the communities they serve, by reducing emissions and providing low-cost heating that helps to drive down energy bills, but also support the nation’s push for greater energy security and independence.

The £288 million Green Heat Network Fund opened in March 2022 to public, private and third sector applicants in England. It will run to 2025, replacing the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) which closed in January 2022.

Unlike its predecessor, the GHNF will only fund heat network projects where there is a low-carbon heat source.

Announced by the government today, the funding will pave the way for low-carbon technologies like air source heat pumps and geothermal.  Ministers hope they can be established as a central source of energy for Britain.

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