Stormont could soon be heated with low cost, low carbon geothermal energy pumped from below ground.
The geothermal demonstrator project, led by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland under Department for the Economy, aims to reduce the cost of heating Northern Ireland’s parliament while making it more climate friendly.
A Freedom of Information request to the Assembly found it cost £945,039 to heat and light Parliament Buildings from September 2020 to August 2022.
Read more: Queen's boffins make carbon capture breakthrough
The lions share of the bill was for electricity from the Department of Finance which amounted to £570,299, while gas from supplier Firmus cost £374,740.
Stormont already has solar fitted to its roof but they provide just 1.7% of the power needed.
It is hoped this geothermal project, which involves technology much like a ground source heat pump, will provide low cost heating.
A second geothermal demonstrator project is also underway at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus in County Antrim.
A DfE spokesperson told us: “The Department for the Economy’s 2022 Energy Strategy Action Plan committed to delivering a geothermal demonstrator project.
“The project has been designed to evaluate the potential and suitability of two locations in Northern Ireland to harness geothermal energy.
“A contractor will lead a consortium of specialists in partnership with DfE and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland to deliver two Geothermal feasibility studies.
“One study, based in Greenmount Campus in County Antrim, which will consider the potential for accessing deep geothermal heat, which could be used in the future to decarbonise the heating of buildings.
“The second study intends to prove that a shallow geothermal system can provide low cost heating, cooling and thermal storage to help decarbonise the buildings on the Stormont Estate using a low carbon, self-sufficient energy source.
“One of the key objectives of the feasibility study at Stormont Estate is to understand the carbon savings that could be generated and to optimise the capital expenditure and operation expenditure costs of any future geothermal heating system.”
It is understood geothermal energy could heat most homes across Northern Ireland using a variety of systems which can reach different depths.
For homes and businesses it can be delivered through ground source heat pumps.
A report by Queen’s University Professor Mark Palmer, Phd student Joseph Ireland, Dr Ulrich Ofterdinger and Professor Min Zhang about Northern Ireland Geothermal Energy Week states: “Northern Ireland has favourable geological conditions for providing low-carbon alternative geothermal heating-and cooling demand solutions.”
READ NEXT:
- Badger group warns farmers of "growing anger" over bovine TB mass cull proposals
- 'Badgers should be vaccinated for bovine TB not killed'
Watch: Fears new lighting drove away Belfast's famous starling murmuration
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
