Earth's heat to power 10,000 homes in renewable energy first for UK
The UK's first geothermal power plant is set to go live, providing a completely new type of renewable electricity using hot water from underground.
On Thursday morning, the Cornish plant will be switched on after nearly two decades in development which required Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) to drill the deepest on-shore well in the UK.
The water, super-heated by rocks, will help drive turbines to generate electricity for 10,000 homes, but will also provide the UK's first domestic supply of lithium - a critical mineral used in green technology.
The British Geological Survey said it was a "major step forward" for geothermal but high drilling costs could make replicating the project difficult.
(BBC).