Cross-border geothermal demonstration project launches in Ireland

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) has announced the launch of GEMINI, a new €20 million ($21 million) multi-partner, all-island geothermal energy demonstration project in Ireland.

GEMINI (Geothermal Energy Momentum on the Island of Ireland), is led by Codema, Dublin’s Energy Agency, and is supported by the PEACEPLUS programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The GEMINI project will result in four geothermal pilot installations, 3 shallow (<500m) in Sligo and Belfast, and one deep (approx. 2km) in Grangegorman, Dublin.

Additional data will also be collected for potential future sites, to increase knowledge of the sub-surface and the island’s potential geothermal resources. This information will be used to inform new policies, guidelines and support for the sector through geological heat potential maps, cross-border policy recommendations, toolkits for decision makers (homeowners, planners, developers and local government), community engagement guidelines, and business and skills development activities.

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The project will be delivered by GEMINI’s 15 partners from local and national government, the research sector and community engagement groups both North and South of the border.

Geothermal energy is a secure, local, near-zero emissions energy source which is suited to both urban and rural areas, including individual users or networks with large heat demands. The geothermal technologies deployed in this project will use heat energy from the Earth to power large-scale heating and cooling systems in public sector buildings such as swimming pools, housing projects, utilities offices and a university campus.

Welcoming the launch of the GEMINI project, minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Mr. Eamon Ryan, T.D., said: “This project will help bring us closer to our 2030 and 2050 emission targets by supporting the Geothermal Energy and District Heating policies led by my Department to decarbonise the heating and cooling sector, which is a critical element of the Irish Government’s Climate Action Plan.

"Importantly the GEMINI project will do more than just deliver infrastructure in the short term. It will also build essential capacity in our planning, education, research and energy design systems, along with best practice for community engagement. This will deliver long term solutions and sustainable impact beyond the four-year project."

Economy minister Conor Murphy added: “Decarbonisation is a cornerstone of my economic plan. As an alternative to fossil fuels, geothermal energy has a pivotal role to play in decarbonising heat. The Gemini project will demonstrate and promote the benefits of geothermal across the island.

“Important partnership work has made this project possible, and I commend the partners involved for their ongoing collaboration with the public sector in the north. The public sector is our largest energy consumer, and I welcome Gemini’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions by unlocking our island’s deep geothermal potential and supporting our move away from imported fossil fuels”.