In a move which has been welcomed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, NHS Grampian is exploring the potential for heating public facilities across Aberdeen using heat from deep below the Earth’s surface.
The Scottish Government’s Sustainable Estates team has funded a £50,000 feasibility study which is being carried out by TownRock Energy in partnership with NHS Grampian.
The desktop study is looking at whether local sites could provide a viable spot for one or more boreholes to harness naturally occurring sustainable energy from the rock thousands of metres underground.
It could work in a similar way to the Eden Project’s heating system, where a hole just 25cm wide delivers heat to one of the world’s largest indoor rainforests. Geothermal energy has the potential to support not only health care facilities in Aberdeen but other public buildings too.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “I welcome NHS Grampian’s commitment to decarbonisation of building energy and look forward to seeing the results of this study.
“The Scottish Government have set targets for NHS Scotland to achieve a 75% reduction in building energy use compared to the 1990 baseline by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2040.”
From left, NHS Grampian’s energy manager, Michael Black, alongside David Townsend, Michael van Mourik and Phil Townsend from TownRock Energy.
Alan Wilson, director of infrastructure and sustainability at NHS Grampian, explains: “It’s estimated there’s enough untapped deep geothermal energy to heat the whole of the UK, and we’re hoping to provide a leading example here in Aberdeen. It works by pumping cold water down which comes back hot enough to heat our buildings. It’s renewable, safe and has a low impact on the surrounding landscape because the hole is so narrow.
“This study is the very first step in what would be a long journey, but it could help us make progress towards becoming a Net Zero organisation. We’re very pleased to be working alongside TownRock Energy on this, and we are working to change the way we use NHS buildings and land more widely. Curbing emissions and supporting biodiversity ultimately supports public health by delivering less pollution, cleaner air and cleaner water.
“We already have a biomass boiler at the Foresterhill Health Campus which contributes to a district heating network with Royal Cornhill Hospital. But we also continue to use a lot of gas. Test of change projects using a range of technologies have and will continue to transform lighting, insulation, heat sources and renewable energy generation for our buildings.”
TownRock Energy CEO David Townsend said: “The sites we’re exploring have been identified as potentially having the right geology for deep geothermal heat and power. This feasibility study is enabling us to look at that in more depth and build a business case with NHS Grampian for wider development.
"We’re considering whether the geothermal wells would have to go 2km, 3km or 5km down. What we’re not sure of yet is whether the ground may still be super cooled from the last ice age and how deep this cooling extends into the ground. If predictions are right, we may see a sudden increase in temperature at depths greater than 2km.
“When people hear the word geothermal, they often think about active volcanic and tectonic areas, like Iceland or Italy, where hot rocks have been producing power for over a hundred years. But recent advances in engineering mean that lower temperature resources in geologically stable regions are now usable. It’s hoped that this could be the case for Aberdeen.”
Alan added: “As part of our Heat and Power Strategy it’s essential we deliver a renewable energy mix for Foresterhill. Geothermal technology is evolving rapidly, particularly in countries like the Netherlands and the USA, and it’s exciting for us to explore here in Aberdeen. There’s a lot of expertise in this kind of engineering in the region and maybe, just maybe, we’ll be able to tap into that and support the transition to Net Zero.”
Find out more about NHS Grampian’s approach to tackling climate change: www.nhsgrampian.org/sustainability
Find out more about TownRock Energy: www.townrock.com