BGS news

Evidence report on deep geothermal energy opportunities in the UK released

BGS has published a detailed evidence report that underpins a deep geothermal White Paper.

16/11/2023 By BGS Press

Geothermal evidence report, titled ‘Evidence report supporting the deep geothermal energy White Paper: the case for deep geothermal energy – unlocking investment at scale in the UK.’ BGS © UKRI.

A Government White Paper entitled ‘The case for deep geothermal energy — unlocking investment at scale in the UK‘ was commissioned by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub. Written by BGS and Arup in July 2023, it provided an evidence-based assessment of the opportunities and made recommendations for building the deep geothermal sector in the UK.

BGS has subsequently written and released this supplementary evidence report, funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), that underpins the White Paper and provides the original outputs from the North East LEP commission as well as additional information, including:

a review of the international geothermal landscape, including financial incentives, risk sharing and regulation
a more detailed assessment of UK geothermal prospects, including new data and analyses from recent BGS studies
potential regional economic and social impacts of geothermal energy and how deployment could contribute to UK policy goals
an analysis of key challenges within the context of international geothermal experiences
descriptions of the methodologies adopted in developing the White Paper, including stakeholder engagement, and how evidence was collected, analysed and translated into a set of recommendations

Together, the evidence report and the White Paper highlight opportunities where deep geothermal energy could:

help the UK meet its net zero objectives
increase energy supply security
deliver economic benefits
create the green jobs of the future

Under the amended UK Climate Change Act, a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases of at least 80 per cent from 1990 levels is necessary to reach net zero targets by 2050.

Geothermal energy, the energy generated and stored in the form of heat in rocks, groundwater and soils, can provide a unique opportunity to deliver a low-carbon source for heating, cooling and power generation.

This evidence report provides underpinning evidence, background, and data for the White Paper, which highlights the opportunities where deep geothermal energy could help the UK meet its net zero objectives.

Dr Corinna Abesser, BGS Director of Policy and lead author of the report.

Since its publication in July 2023, the White Paper has been updated to include a foreword by Lord Callanan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, DESNZ.

More information

White paper calls for acceleration of geothermal energy projects in the UK

Contact the BGS press office:

email Lucy Bloor (bgspress@bgs.ac.uk)
phone Lucy on 07745667169

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership is a public, private, and education sector partnership that covers Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland local authority areas.

The North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub is a collaboration of six combined authorities and local enterprise partnerships, created by DESNZ to accelerate its partners’ net zero ambitions.

The hub is making net zero happen across the north-east and Yorkshire, developing regional energy strategy, supporting and accelerating the development of local and regional, low and zero carbon heat and energy projects and delivering investment programmes in housing retrofit and public sector decarbonisation. To date, the hub has supported over 100 clean energy and heat projects, saving over a million tonnes of carbon and creating over 1.3 GW of clean, green energy, and upgrading the energy efficiency of over 7000 local homes.

The North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub is part of a national network of five local net zero hubs. Partners are:

North of Tyne Combined Authority/North East LEP
North Yorkshire Council
Hull and East Riding LEP
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Tees Valley Combined Authority
South Yorkshire Combined Authority

Dedicated to sustainable development, Arup is a collective of 20 000 designers, advisors and experts working across 140 countries. Founded to strive for humanity and excellence in everything that we do, we collaborate with our clients and partners, using imagination, technology and rigour to shape a better world.