Geothermal could offer viable energy alternative to Hope Moor wind farm says MP

Could geothermal power be a realistic alternative to unpopular proposals for the Hope Moor Wind Farm?

As grassroots opposition to Fred Olsen Renewables’ scheme for land on Barningham Moor grows, backed by big hitters such as England cricket star Ian Botham, Teesdale’s MP Sam Rushworth is urging more attention to alternative energy schemes.

Mr Rushworth, who has been criticised by campaigners for not speaking out against the wind farm proposal, believes that simply saying “no” is not helpful.

Instead, he is looking to present a credible alternative and believes that County Durham could be a national leader in generating geothermal power.

“Credible proposals are already on the table that could generate significant amounts of electricity while also providing heat to hospitals, universities, business parks and district heating networks, without leaving such a mark on the landscape,” said Mr Rushworth.

“Unlike wind, geothermal is baseload energy: it is constant and reliable. It would also support a transition for workers with skills in drilling and pipeline engineering from the oil and gas sector into a growing clean energy industry.”

Campaigners were concerned that the MP’s “credible proposals” lacked detail.

When questioned, Mr Rushworth told the Teesdale Mercury that he was backing deep geothermal, something different from the existing shallow scheme in Seaham, which uses heat from disused mine workings.

“Deep geothermal gets much higher temperatures – with similar output to nuclear power stations – but requires drilling a few kilometres down.

“It is more expensive, comes with more risk, but offers much greater returns.”

He added that there are several organisations – including The Auckland Project and Geothermal Wells – investigating deep geo in the region.

The aim would be to have a group of projects ready to roll at the same time so they could share the cost of bringing in the initial drilling rig for an extended period.

“From what I understand, the overall project would be about £1 billion, and developers are seeking £75m from government,” Mr Rushworth added.

He said the total process from planning to power production might take about three years.

“These initiatives are not as far along as Hope Moor, mainly because there is still work to do to get government backing, but Durham County Council and the North East Combined Authority are onboard.”