Exclusive:Geothermal energy: Ignoring 'significant' power source 'risks Scotland's energy security'
Despite several options for developing geothermal energy in Scotland, the Scottish Government says it has no plans to progress this.
Scotland’s energy security is being put at risk by ignoring geothermal energy, ministers are being warned.
The Conservative Environment Network says the Scottish Government is “failing to guarantee Scotland’s energy security” by not removing the red tape involved in developing new energy projects.
Geothermal uses heat stored below the surface of the earth, and is a constant low-carbon source of renewable heat that is not dependent on weather conditions.
A number of deep geothermal energy sources have already been identified in Scotland, such as abandoned coal mines and granite in the north-east and north Highlands.
The Glasgow Geoenergy Observatory is also currently monitoring how warm water moves around abandoned mines through a network of boreholes in the east end of the city.
However, Public Finance Minister Hannah Mary Goodlad says the government has “decided not to make changes to permitted development rights” to allow development to progress.
Liam Kerr MSP, the Scottish Conservatives’ energy spokesman, said: “The SNP is failing to guarantee Scotland’s energy security.
“In this era of global instability geothermal energy could play a vital role, and as we face more extreme weather from heatwaves to cold snaps, geothermal has the potential to deliver vital cooling and heating to protect our communities.
“But the SNP is holding back geothermal, which could help to bring security and climate resilience to Scotland.
“Failing to cut red tape means this technology is being neglected and deprived of private investment.
“Not only are ministers driving forward the collapse of our North Sea oil and gas sector, but they are also ignoring another of Scotland’s natural resources in geothermal.
“Unless red tape is cut and private investment is incentivised, then Scotland’s geothermal potential, a low-carbon source of energy beneath our feet, will be wasted.”
Elinor Bale, climate programme manager at the Conservative Environment Network, said SNP ministers must look to geothermal power as North Sea oil and gas reserves decline.
She believes Scotland’s geothermal potential is enough to meet heating and cooling demand for over 1,000 years and up to 75 per cent of electricity demand.
Ms Bale said: “Ministers should get rid of the red tape holding back this untapped resource to incentivise private investment and cut construction delays.
“If the Scottish Government expands permitted development rights for small-scale development of shallow geothermal resources, then this low-carbon natural resource can be unlocked.
“This needs to go hand-in-hand with the Scottish and Westminster governments establishing a statutory and regulatory framework specifically for geothermal projects.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “In recent years, public funding has backed a number of projects exploring the potential for geothermal energy to support energy security and reduce emissions, including those run by Aberdeen Council, Geothermal Energy Limited, and Cairngorm Mountain Scotland Limited.
“NHS Grampian received Scottish Government funding last year to assess the feasibility of using deep geothermal energy to heat the Foresterhill Health Campus in Aberdeen, and we are also engaging with the Mining Remediation Authority to identify opportunities to heat NHS facilities using geothermal heat stored in minewater.
“This government is focused on ensuring that Scotland’s planning system grows the economy and consultation with partners is underway, as part of our 100 days commitments, to ensure the planning system acts as an enabler to economic growth and investment.”
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