Geothermal energy has been successfully producing power for over 100 years. However, as with other methods of energy production - oil, gas, coal, wind, the path to success doesn't always run smoothly. While we're extremely confident in our own proposed plant in Cornwall, it's sad to see that two other projects have been closed down.
The two projects, one in Switzerland, and the other in California, closed down for very different reasons. The Swiss project was drilling into a well-known fault line - essentially, a fracture in the rock. Unfortunately, the disturbance of the drilling and pumping process caused the fault line to slip and the project was suspended in 2007. It has now been judged too risky to continue drilling. A lack of thorough research into the region's seismology meant that the team did not anticipate problems. The project in California on the other hand suffered from numerous technical problems and the company working on the scheme has now concluded that the site's geology is too challenging to work with.
Despite the closures of two projects, it's important to note that both America and Switzerland have remained enthusiastic about geothermal energy. In Switzerland, drilling has already begun in Zurich to see if the area is suitable for a geothermal plant, and St Gallen is planning a geothermal scheme for 2010. The American government is supporting geothermal development with a $338 million grant, while this year alone, a university in the state of Indiana began installing its own $70 million geothermal energy system, which will be the largest of its kind in the country. Success stories such as the Soultz-sous-Forêts Hot Dry Rock project in France prove that an operational geothermal plant at depths of approximately 5 km can operate in harmony with the surrounding environment.
Cornwall's geology is different to the geological features that affected the Swiss and Californian projects. Cornwall is not near a tectonic plate edge such as the famous San Andreas fault in California. We have carried out extensive geological surveys of our proposed site, have used data from the nearby Rosemanowes research project and have a team of world class experts guiding each step of our approach.
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