UK Eden Geothermal Project Plans to Drill 4 Additional Deep Wells and Expand Capacity to 15 MW

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The expansion plan of Eden Geothermal Ltd in Cornwall, UK, to add 4 deep geothermal wells and supporting surface facilities has entered the stage of public reporting. The project plans to increase the number of licensed geothermal wells from 2 to 6 and raise the planned installed capacity of the facility to 15 MW. The relevant planning change application, numbered PA26/05364, was accepted by Cornwall Council on August 19 and is currently under review.

This expansion involves adjustments to the existing geothermal well system and surface energy facilities. According to planning documents, the project intends to expand the scale of the air-cooled condenser units to meet the fluid cooling demand of the additional geothermal wells, while rearranging the site building layout by adjusting one previously approved substation into two and reducing the area of the existing water storage pond.

Planning support documents prepared by SLR Consulting Limited show that the total gross floor area of the facility buildings is proposed to increase by 59 square meters, while the project site boundary remains unchanged. The additional works are planned to utilize the existing approved site, without changing the previously determined drainage system and scheme, and without occupying areas covered by local tree preservation orders. The relevant planning materials also include floor plans and elevation drawings of the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) turbine hall, water storage tanks, substations, and main equipment building.

The Eden Geothermal Project currently operates one deep well with a vertical depth of 4,871 meters and a measured well depth of 5,277 meters, with approximately 4,000 meters of vacuum-insulated tubing installed in the well. The deep geothermal fluid reaches temperatures of up to approximately 200 degrees Celsius, and the existing heating facilities supply heat through a heat exchange system to the Eden Project's biomes greenhouses and the Growing Point nursery. The previously approved second deep well has not yet been drilled.

Regarding the additional drilling operations, planning consultants believe that recent advances in drilling technology can keep the on-site rig occupancy time for the 4 additional wells within the existing permit scope. Landscape specialists at Cornwall Council have expressed support for the project's proposed landscape impact mitigation measures, while noting that environmental impacts such as dust and noise may still occur during the construction phase.

The project team has scheduled a public consultation event in the village of Trethurgy on October 28, with a second meeting planned for November 6. The target decision date for planning application PA26/05364 is November 18, 2026, and the additional drilling and surface facility adjustments still need to complete the relevant approval procedures.