Irish Government Consults Public on Geothermal Energy

In the pursuit of cleaner, more environmentally friendly energy sources, the Irish government has drawn up proposals to drill into the Earth’s crust to harness geothermal energy. The government is now in the stages of an official public consultation regarding the plans, with Environment Minister, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan publishing a draft policy statement on 28 December 2021.

Geothermal energy is trapped in rocks that sit beneath the surface of the Earth. These rocks are heated by the Sun or by the inner workings of the planet’s core. With the temperature increasing the deeper the shaft is, the Irish government is proposing geothermal drilling up to 5km deep. As the policy statement reports, temperatures increase by around 21°C to 25°C per kilometer. The government is eager to harness this source of energy for its ability to be harnessed securely from local resources. Geothermal energy is also a reliable resource that doesn’t depend on wind or sun and is available year-round.

The policy statement comes after the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication’s 2020 Assessment of Geothermal Energy for District Heating in Ireland and the accompanying regulatory Roadmap. Thanks to recent technological developments, encouraged as a response to the pressures of climate change, tapping into geothermal energy is now no longer considered something for only volcanic regions. In the past, only nations such as Iceland, Italy, and New Zealand were able to harness geothermal energy with heat flows residing much closer to the surface.

Risk vs. Potential

Mr. Ryan’s Policy Statement makes provision for the uncertainty that accompanies geothermal energy, acknowledging the expense that comes with nascent technology and techniques;

“The Department recognises that geothermal energy projects are subject to more initial uncertainty than other forms of renewable energy such as wind or solar power.”

Most importantly, geothermal projects require exploratory drilling to gather information on viable locations for tapping into the heat trapped below. As the Statement itself claims, “This is expensive.” To assist in reducing these early-state costs and risks, the Department is creating the National Geothermal Database, maintained by Geological Survey Ireland, a repository for geophysical data.

Overseeing the enterprise is the Geothermal Regulatory Authority, a rename of the GeoScience Regulation Office (GSRO). The body will need to be consulted by large-scale geothermal projects to be approved and given a geothermal exploration licence. If commercially viable resources are found, they will then be granted a “capture lease.”

Uses for geothermal energy

These projects could see geothermal energy being used for district heating schemes for new housing developments, where deeper drilling is required. The energy is used in combination with pumps to heat water that can be used for both warming and cooling applications. To date, geothermal energy is used in Ireland only to a limited extent, with ground source pumps used domestically in a few locations.

For district heating, the expectation is for drilling to reach 3km in-depth to see temperatures of around 60°C, considered necessary for larger home-heating schemes. The Statement notes, however, that temperatures of 80°C to 120°C are also considered available that may find use in industrial processes such as cement drying and dairy production. Though this will likely require drilling to the 5km mark.

As well as heating, geothermal energy is likely to be used to generate electricity, where “improvements in binary cycle power plants have meant that lower input temperatures can also be  used for electricity production.” The Statement explains, however, that further subsurface information is required before this is confirmed as viable.

Public consultation

The Environment Department also intends to keep members of the community, environmental groups, and regulatory agencies abreast of developments and plans.

“Engagement with the public, community groups, industry, and academia is critically important to developing our geothermal potential,” Mr. Ryan said.

Members of the public now have until March 1, 2022, to submit their observations and comments on the Draft Policy Statement via email (GSPD@decc.gov.ie), with the Department claiming all submissions will be brought to their attention and considered before the Statement is finalised.

With a study by the Sustainable Energy Authority finding that up to 54% of Ireland’s domestic, commercial, and public sector heating could be met by district heating schemes, the role of geothermal energy is potentially an unmissable opportunity.

The Public Consultation Institute of Ireland (PCII) is committed to engaging citizens and empowering communities through the use of emerging technologies, which are transforming how the Government and citizens communicate and interact. PCII’s mission is to bring more people into the public participatory process. Not only will this expand informed public engagement, early studies suggest that it is likely to enhance the diversity and quality of partipartipation. View a list of public consultations currently open at www.publicconsultation.ie