6 Thursday, August 1, 2019 WESTERN MORNING NEWS WESTERN MORNING NEWS Thursday, August 1, 2019 7 Geothermal, tech metals and other innovations Geothermal, tech metals and other innovations Farm manure Harnessing geothermal is playing an energy role energy stored below us Nestling in the heart of the Cornish countryside near Truro, Bennamann Ltd is a small company aiming to drive a radical shake-up of the world’s energy markets by introducing a he United Downs Deep Geo- of Cornwall is double the UK average similar potential. was as important to the success of highly disruptive, commercially viable way of thermal Power (UDDGP) pro- thanks to the heat-producing nature A site was chosen, and planning the project as the technical activities. sourcing and distributing zero carbon sustainable Tject aims to harness the enor- of the granite that underlies most of permission obtained, in 2010 but it Community outreach and education fuel locally. mous amount of geothermal energy the county. The practical result is proved impossible to raise the programmes were initiated as soon But rather than using wind, sun or stored in rocks deep beneath Corn- that useful temperatures can be money required to begin drilling as the funding was agreed and they underground rocks as a starting point for heating, wall. reached with shallower drilling, from industrial investors. Many have continued, indeed grown, as cooking or vehicle fuel, they will be using In 2017 Geothermal Engineering which is a significant benefit in expressed interest in the project but the project has progressed. something most of us prefer not to think about Ltd (GEL) secured £10.6m of funding terms of development costs for any none was willing to take the financial Dozens of visits, classroom ses- too much, farmyard manure. from the European Regional Devel- project. risk of drilling expensive wells in an sions and lectures have been given The company, which was established in 2011 by opment Fund which, together with A Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal unproven area. to students from Primary School age two local surfers with an ambition to transform £2.4m support from Cornwall Coun- research project was initiated by Therefore GEL, in common with to post-graduate university level, the economics of renewable energy, has been cil and £5m raised privately, has Camborne School of Mines in the other potential developers, lobbied with particular attention given to the researching and developing a suite of business allowed it to drill two deep holes (or late 1970s at a site near Penryn and for public funding to support a dem- schools closest to the project. models and innovative, IP-protected hardware wells) from its site within the United continued until the early 1990s when onstration project and UDDGP was, The project team have taken a >>Peter Ledingham (project and software technologies that enable the local Downs Industrial Estate, near European funding was withdrawn. eventually, the result. It is hoped that mobile exhibition to numerous local manager) and Lucy Cotton production, marketing and distribution of Redruth. Although the UDDGP concept is dif- a successful outcome will encourage and countywide events, held public (project geologist) net-zero carbon biomethane. That is biomethane The wells intersect a target geolog- ferent, it builds on the knowledge the necessary private investment to open days at the site and given lec- sustainably derived from the anaerobic digestion ical structure – The Porthtowan Fault and experience gained at that time, develop further, larger projects else- tures to a wide variety of interested of organic waste materials, such as manure slurry, Zone – which should contain enough and some of the same engineers and where in the county and build a sig- public groups. There is widespread at the farm or country estate scale, which will be natural fractures, and therefore per- scientists are involved now. nificant geothermal industry here. interest and enthusiasm for the pro- delivered as a compressed gas or liquid fuel to meability, to allow water to be circu- In the previous project the aim Funding agreements were signed ject specifically, and the concept of power lorries and tractors, heat households and lated to extract the heat from the was to learn how to create an artifi- in May 2017 and preparation began geothermal energy in general, businesses, provide hot water and gas for cooking, granite at depths between 3,000m cial geothermal ‘reservoir’ with no immediately to make the site ready among the community. and even charge electric vehicles. and 5,000m below the surface. At help from the geology. If such sys- for the drilling operation and to pro- Initial public concerns about the Bennamann’s innovations include patented 5,000m the temperature of the rocks tems could be created then geother- cure the key equipment, services potential noise nuisance from fuel tanks for storage, transport and use of liquid is above 190OC. mal energy could be harnessed any- and suppliers required. 24-hour-per-day drilling activity biomethane; fuel delivery systems; equipment to If testing of the wells later this year where in the world. Up to now, Drilling of the first, deeper, well have been addressed firstly by select- process and liquify biomethane on the farm; and proves successful, the GEL team will power has only been produced in began in November 2018 and was ing the quietest drilling rig available techniques for capturing the biogas that would build the first commercial geother- countries which have natural reser- completed to a depth of 5,275m in and, secondly, by undertaking con- otherwise escape from slurry lagoons and mal power plant in the UK on the voirs and extremely high heat flows; the last week of April. It is the deep- tinuous noise monitoring around the contribute to global warming and climate change. same site, producing between 1 and almost exclusively along tectonic est hole ever drilled on land in the site. Local residents have easy access The company has until recently been funded by 3MWe of electricity; enough to sup- plate boundaries and in volcanic UK. The second well was completed to project staff to raise any issues small investors and UK innovation grants, but is ply up to 3,000 homes. There will regions. In particular, many coun- to a depth of 2,393m at the end of related to the project, either directly about to embark upon a £1.2 million project to also be a significant amount of tries around the Pacific ocean have June. or through a Community Liaison establish a groundbreaking example of an energy renewable heat produced that could significant geothermal generation. Both wells intersected the fault Group. independent farm in Cornwall, having been potentially be used close to the site. At United Downs the aim is to get structure as planned and prelimi- The project has reached one of its awarded nearly £1 million from the European It has been known for decades that a leg-up from nature and exploit the nary measurements show that the major milestones; completion of the Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to part-fund the rocks beneath Cornwall are unu- natural fracture systems that are bottom hole temperatures are as drilling of the two deep wells. And as the work. sually hot. Tin and copper miners related to ancient faults that run expected. Further well testing will be it looks forward to the next impor- In collaboration with St Allen-based had first-hand experience of the high across the county. Following a study carried out to determine how much tant testing phase of the project, the Chynoweth Farm Partners and a team at the geothermal gradients; the rate at in 2009 the Porthtowan Fault Zone water can be circulated between the team remains optimistic about the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) on which temperature increases with was chosen as the target for the first wells once the drilling rig has been opportunities ahead for harnessing the Penryn campus of Exeter University, >>Used 24” drill bit – made of steel depth. The deeper levels of the project but, if the concept is success- removed from the site. the geothermal resources beneath >>The Innovarig Bennamann will use the funding to research and mines were uncomfortably hot and ful, there are other similar structures The GEL team recognised from the our feet for the long term benefit of with Tungsten Carbide ‘teeth’ develop its ideas for a revolutionary approach to humid. In fact the heat flow in parts throughout the county that offer outset that community engagement everyone living in Cornwall. maximise the use of on-site renewable energy resources, in combination with animal waste, to supply all the energy needed for a dairy farm, Cornwall’s minerals reserves could power electric car revolution Why Lithium? Why Cornwall? including powering the tractor, taking the site off-grid and dramatically reducing the operational Global demand for lithium is springs that naturally occur beneath geothermal brines offers significant UK supply of lithium. The Faraday Battery Challenge ■ costs for the business. forecast to triple by 2025 – thanks to the surface in and around Cornish transformational potential for the The project, Lithium for the UK brings together world-leading ■ Lithium is an essential that Cornwall potentially The project will also demonstrate how the electric car revolution – and the granites. The aim is to create a new Cornish economy. Using modern (“Li4UK”), aims to help meet the research and business to accelerate component of modern contains a very significant biomethane surplus to the farm’s needs can be answer could lie in Cornwall’s high-tech, environmentally technology, we can also see the huge increase in demand for the the research needed to develop batteries for environmentally quantity of lithium in made available in gas and liquid form for local mineral reserves. responsible mining industry in the great potential that remains in battery metal anticipated and will be battery technologies – a crucial friendly electric vehicles and geothermal brines, making it sale and distribution to create an additional Increasing need for battery region. Cornwall for other metals which are run by a consortium of Cornish move towards a net zero emissions for the storage of renewable a priority target for income stream for the farmer, and how the storage is driving demand for The company, which recently vital in today’s society.” Lithium, mining consultancy firm economy in the UK, and a key power. exploration. ■ ■ company’s process can improve the sustainability lithium, which is a vital component launched a £1m crowdfunding Cornwall has long been associated Wardell Armstrong and the Natural contributor to all new cars and vans ■ The rapid adoption of ■ In Cornwall lithium is of land management through the minimisation of of many battery technologies, campaign on Crowdcube, has with tin and copper mining, and History Museum. being zero emission by 2040. electric vehicles has seen contained within artificial inputs such as manufactured fertiliser. especially powering electric vehicles secured the rights to explore for and lithium was first discovered in the The funding is part of the Faraday The Consortium believes this demand for lithium increase geothermal fluids which The project aims to provide a proven business and storing renewable power. commercially extract lithium and county in hot springs in 1864. Battery Challenge, designed to feasibility study is a vital first step in dramatically over recent circulate deep within model for a roll-out of this radical new approach The UK is currently reliant on develop geothermal energy Cornish Lithium was founded in develop safe and efficient batteries securing a domestic supply of years; a trend that is sub-surface rocks. ■ across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the UK and imported lithium compounds – contained in the hot springs. 2016 and now employs a team of in the UK to power the next lithium for the UK battery and expected to accelerate in the ■ Cornish Lithium is using the rest of the world. mostly from China – but Cornwall is Jeremy Wrathall, Founder & CEO of seven geologists and a digital generation of electric vehicles as automotive industries. coming decades. It has been modern digital mapping and Bennamann CEO and Co-Founder Dr Chris home to one of the world’s greatest Cornish Lithium Ltd said: “This is an archivist to evaluate lithium part of a push for innovative energy The potential for Cornwall to be a called the “new gasoline”. 3D modelling tools to ■ Mann said: “There are around 2,000 dairy farms in “metallogenic provinces”. historic opportunity for Cornwall to potential over 300 square kilometres solutions. global resource for mining ■ Global demand for assemble historic data into a the South West alone, and beyond these the Now a Cornish company is participate in the development of a of the county. It forms part of the government’s operations, including high- lithium is predicted to model which can be easily company’s game-changing technology and undertaking the largest single possible source of lithium for the UK. The company is compiling and drive to ‘maintain the UK as a technology metals, has been >>Recharging an electric car increase to 785,000 tonnes interrogated and analysed. ■ business models could be similarly used with unified exploration programme in “We are delighted to have the digitising various sources of historic world-leader in the latest highlighted internationally as one of LCE (Roskill) by 2025, from ■ The potential for new manure from pig and chicken farming operations, Cornwall’s history, with the potential opportunity to re-evaluate the data to evaluate the optimal technologies and emerging markets, the UK’s ‘High Potential 217,000 tonnes LCE in 2017 discoveries in Cornwall has as well as with other forms of organic waste to create a new lithium extraction geological potential of Cornwall in locations for extraction boreholes to through its modern Industrial Opportunities’. to the UK by showcasing national mineral deposits, including tin, (Reuters). The mining not been assessed for commonly found on farms and country estates, industry to supply battery raw light of the ‘Battery Revolution’ that be drilled. Strategy.’ The Consortium will assess High Potential Opportunities, or sector strengths and skills to global tungsten, lithium and silver, will be industry needs to discover decades. Cornish Lithium is such as grass cuttings. We believe the opportunity materials. is going to transform all our lives Last month the Government the feasibility of extracting and HPOs, are part of the Government’s investors. promoted as a globally significant new sources of lithium to using cutting-edge for Bennamann to transform the economics of Cornish Lithium is focusing on over the coming decades. granted funding for a new study to converting a supply of lithium from drive to attract more overseas The HPO means Cornwall’s resource with huge investment ensure supply can keep up techniques to better define local renewable energy sourcing across the world exploring for lithium within the hot “The presence of lithium in assess the feasibility of developing a the UK in to battery-grade material. investment and trade opportunities abundance of tech metals and potential. with demand. lithium prospectivity across ■ is substantial, and we want to demonstrate that in ■ Cornish Lithium believes Cornwall. Cornwall.”