Plans for Geothermal Energy Wells for Aberdeen City
Plans to drill a deep geothermal well below Aberdeen to heat local homes and businesses would unlock massive quantities of pollution-free energy, campaigners claim
PLANS to drill a deep geothermal well below Aberdeen to heat local homes and businesses would unlock massive quantities of pollution-free energy, campaigners claim.
As government-funded report suggests that a demonstration scheme which would tap into high temperatures found miles underground could help position the area as a global energy hub, WWF Scotland has called all political parties to commit to plans to bring clean and affordable warmth to thousands of households and businesses.
It has been claimed the “fracking free” plan to drill a deep geothermal well below the city also has the potential to cushion the economic blow from the crisis in the North Sea and highlight the potential from this form of energy for the rest of the UK.
The proposal comes on the back of recent claims by Prime Minister David Cameron that Icelandic volcanoes could pipe power to homes across the UK via a a subsea cable.
Iceland gets 95 per cent of its electricity from geothermal or renewable hydro sources.
But rather than import from Iceland, the new report said Scotland should tap into its own geothermal sources as part of a national push for more renewable energy.
Welcoming the proposal, WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: “Thanks to the growth in renewables and the closure of fossil-fuel power stations, Scotland is well on its way to de-carbonising its electricity system.