ABSTRACT
The potential geothermal resource is thought to be quite large, representing, if fully developed, perhaps 10 per cent of UK electricity requirements. The UK’s hot dry rock programme involved an experimental well at Camborne, in Cornwall, funded by the government. A double well system was created, but the initial results were disappointing: less power was produced than expected due to problems with the geology. Establishing an efficient heat-extracting well configuration is a difficult and expensive art, even assuming the basic concepts are sound.
