Growing Point plant nursery
Growing Point is the Eden's state-of-the-art sustainable plant nursery, with the capacity to product over one million plants per year.
Eden Geothermal Energy Project
The Eden Project is a partner on a groundbreaking geothermal energy project right here on our site, harnessing naturally occurring sustainable energy from the rock deep underground – providing heat to our Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes and brand new state-of-the-art plant nursery.
This project plays a significant role in our journey to net zero and to becoming a climate positive organisation by 2030.
What is geothermal energy?
Did you know?
The 5.3km well is only 25cm wide – that’s the size of a pizza!
Geothermal energy is the heat in the rock beneath our feet. Worldwide, natural spas have been enjoyed for millennia. In active volcanic and tectonic areas, like Italy, hot rocks have been producing power for a hundred years.
Advances in engineering mean that lower temperature resources in geologically stable regions are now usable.
What's so good about geothermal?
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Geothermal is the only renewable energy resource not affected by the weather; it is 'on' 24 hours a day, with plants typically running over 90% of the time.
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The surface area of the plant is the smallest of any power source, and with buildings no higher than 10m, geothermal energy has a low impact on the landscape.
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It's estimated that geothermal could provide all the heat the UK needs.
What we're doing
In partnership with EGS Energy and Bestec UK, we've set up a new company – Eden Geothermal Ltd – that has built a geothermal plant on the Eden Project site, using the heat from the granite underground.
On a site the size of a football pitch close to the main gate, we have drilled a single well 5.3km deep into the rock. The geothermal plant will produce enough heat for Eden's Biomes and new nursery, known as Growing Point.
A vacuum insulated tube (VIT) has been inserted into the well to 4000m, so hot water is pumped up to the surface using a submersible pump. The hot water runs through a heat exchanger to deliver heat at 85°C. The same water is then re-circulated to be superheated and used again. This is called a coaxial system.
The £22m project has been funded by the European Union, Cornwall Council and an institutional investor.
How deep have we drilled?
Eden's geothermal heating system
We have created a single well heat exchanger and installed a 3.8km heat main to link the geothermal site to Eden's new state-of-the-art nursery – Growing Point – and our Biomes.
Quote from Gus Grand
“If we can begin a [geothermal] industry here that learns how to drill cheaper and quicker, and bring costs down, the renewable problem is solved.”
Dig deeper into Eden Geothermal
Funders and delivery partners
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