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CORNISH hot rocks could soon power and heat the UK’s southwest says alternative energy company Geothermal Engineering.

The company plans to build the UK’s first commercial-scale geothermal energy plant close to the town of Redruth in Cornwall where it will drill 5 km into the earth and sink pipes into the wells so it can tap temperatures estimated at 170°C.

The process of tapping geothermal heat is relatively simple. Water is pumped down through a U-shaped pipe. When it reaches the bottom, hot rocks boil the water to steam which returns to the surface to heat local communities and drive a turbine to generate electricity, which can then be sold to the national grid.

Ryan Law, managing director of Geothermal Engineering says drilling is scheduled for 2010 and operations for 2013. Initially, the plant would supply 10 MW of baseload power and up to 55 MW of heat. If successful, the company plans to expand capacity to 300 MW of power and 1 GW of heat in the next 20 years.

“Our vision is to provide renewable heat and power at minimal environmental cost,” says Law.

He adds that geothermal energy is distinct from other forms of sustainable energy because it benefits local people. “Unlike wind or wave power, which uses local resources to power the national grid, the renewable heat generated by the geothermal plant has to be used locally and will therefore have a direct and positive impact on the local economy and community,” he says.