AQW 26691/17-22


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 01/12/2021
Answered On Date: 24/01/2022
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy (i) for his assessment of Northern Ireland’s geothermal energy potential; and (ii) to detail what conversations he has had with stakeholders in this industry regarding the development of this form of renewable energy.


Answer:
Although the geothermal energy sector is growing across Europe and further afield, work to understand the potential for this type of energy in Northern Ireland is at an early stage.
Preliminary assessment undertaken for the Department by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) indicates that, in addition to the potential for ground source heat pumps across much of Northern Ireland, the presence of sedimentary aquifers at accessible depths means that Northern Ireland has significant potential for geothermal heat.
High permeability aquifers underneath Greater Belfast and several other towns offer potential for larger-scale heating, cooling and thermal storage using open-loop systems. There exists some potential for mine water heat extraction and storage in parts of east Co. Tyrone.
In addition to these shallower resources, a high geothermal gradient in Northern Ireland means that significant deep geothermal energy resource is predicted in areas such as Co. Antrim that have deeply buried sedimentary aquifers. These aquifers, typically at 2–3 km depth, containing hot water at temperatures of 70–100°C, could be a source of low-carbon heat for industrial, horticultural and district heating use.
Significant further testing and analysis is needed to confirm these early findings. In June 2021, the Department established a Geothermal Advisory Committee (GAC) to oversee and steer future geothermal research. The GAC, which is chaired by the director of GSNI, engages representatives from academia, government, industry and geoscience professional organisations in identifying the need for further research and trials and to support policy development. The GAC peer-reviewed a new GSNI report on the geothermal prospectivity of Northern Ireland, and this was published at the NI Energy Forum on Nov 18 and is available online here.