Newcastle To Tap Hot Water From Deep Geothermal Reserves

Newcastle is planning to obtain free hot water from deep geothermal resources located below the city’s ‎central streets. Drilling a deep borehole is in progress in Newcastle Upon Tyne to pump ‎out unlimited volumes of groundwater naturally available at 80C (176F) deep below the earth’s underground ‎by natural geothermal heat.‎

The project is expected to start pumping the underground water in early June. Scientists and engineers from Newcastle and Durham universities are carrying out the ‎project. They hope to reach a depth of 2,000m (6,500ft) to tap the underground water by June.‎ The £900,000 project would ensure a steady supply of water to heat the 24-acre Science ‎Centre, as well as other parts of the city centre in Newcastle. Eldon Square, the elite ‎shopping mall, plans to re-circulate the water to heat 140 shops located in the mall.‎

The borehole project was conceived by the local Newcastle Science City partnership in ‎association with the Department of Energy and Climate Change, who are also funding the ‎project. The Project is based on the success of the earlier trial of tapping similar geo-‎thermally heated water resources located in Upper Weardale, County Durham.‎ The Newcastle project has earned the city a top place in the Future’s 2009 and 2010 ‎sustainability Forum.‎