GT Energy, the Irish company specialising in the harnessing of deep geothermal energy for the production of renewable heat and electricity, has lodged a planning application with South Dublin County Council for a geothermal power plant on a site at Greenogue Business Park in Newcastle, South County Dublin. Geothermal energy is a natural renewable heat generated at the earth’s core that radiates to the surface constantly.
GT Energy’s proposed Eur30 million development will be the first deep geothermal electricity generation plant in Ireland. The new power plant will be capable of generating up to 4 megawatts of electricity using geothermal energy, which will be fed into the national electricity grid. It will deliver base load electricity to the national grid, the equivalent of providing 8,000 homes with its entire electricity needs.
Subject to planning permission, it is expected that drilling of the wells will commence in 2011 and the plant is scheduled to be operational and connected to the national grid in late 2012.
GT Energy recently entered into a Technology Partnership Agreement with ESBI that will see GT Energy generate up to 50 megawatts of electricity using geothermal energy by 2020. ESBI will assist the company with the design of the generating equipment and grid connection design work.
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Pictured are (l to r): Padraig Hanly, managing director of GT Energy, and Gerry White, manager, market and technology developments, ESBI.