UK legacy geothermal catalogue released in digital format for the first time
BGS has released the first digital version of the UK legacy geothermal catalogue of subsurface temperature measurements, rock thermal conductivity measurements and heat flow calculations.
18/04/2024 By BGS Press
Detailed subsurface information is required to increase the uptake of geothermal energy technologies. This will contribute to UK net zero targets through decarbonisation of heat, along with energy security. The legacy UK geothermal catalogue is a significant compilation of data to inform geothermal assessments.
The legacy geothermal catalogue comprises data contained in numerous historic technical reports from the 1977 to 1991 Geothermal Energy Programme. This was delivered by BGS and funded by the then UK Department of Energy and the European Commission.
The digital release contains 11 821 data points derived from 743 sites, comprising 77 per cent of the legacy geothermal catalogue dataset held by BGS. Alongside this, five of the original programme reports have been released onto the NERC Open Research Archive. Future releases of the legacy data are planned, for which the intellectual property rights (IPR) and validation checks are more complex.
This open release of the legacy geothermal catalogue makes a significant dataset more accessible, to support the development of geothermal energy and heat decarbonisation onshore UK. It may be used to inform pre-feasibility stages of projects or for research and innovation. The user guide describes acknowledged limitations of this first release of a legacy dataset. The aim is for future releases to include more recent data.
Dr Alison Monaghan, BGS Head of Geothermal.
This data is released under the Open Government Licence 3.0 and is a step towards Recommendation 3, improving data availability and accessibility, of the 2023 Deep Geothermal White Paper.
The data release comprises of a series of csv files and an accompanying user guide that can be accessed for use under the Open Government Licence, with the acknowledgement ‘Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2024’.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) is a world-leading geological survey that undertakes strategic science for the benefit of society. BGS is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and a research centre within the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).rnrnBGS delivers research, products and services for the UK, and operates internationally to maximise the impact of its science and to contribute to the UK’s international priorities. BGS is the national centre of geological data and information and undertakes monitoring and analytical research programmes. These enable the timely and authoritative provision of impartial and independent information and advice to governments, industry and civil society.rnrnThe new BGS Strategy for 2023 to 2028, ‘Understanding our Earth’, sets out its four priority science areas for the next five years, helping to deliver the necessary geological data and knowledge for a sustainable future. See u003ca href=u0022http://www.bgs.ac.uku0022u003ewww.bgs.ac.uku003c/au003e.
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