CHPM (Combined Heat, Power and Metal extraction) 2030 deliverable (D1.2): report on data availability for south-west England

This report is a published product of the ‘CHPM2030’ project - an EC - funded, Horizon2020 project which aims to develop a novel and potentially disruptive techn ology solution that can help satisfy the European needs for energy and strategic metals in a single interlinked process. Working at the frontiers of geothermal resources development, minerals extraction and electro - metallurgy, the project aims at convertin g ultra - deep metallic mineral formations into ‘orebody - engineered geothermal systems’ that will serve as a basis for the development of a new type of facility for ‘Combined Heat, Power and Metal extraction’ (CHPM). The project will help provide new impetus to geothermal development in Europe by investigating previously unexplored pathways at low - TRL. This will be achieved by developing a roadmap in support of the pilot implementation of such system before 2025, and full - scale commercial implementation befor e 2030. This will include detailed specifications of a new type of future engineered geothermal system (EGS) facility that is designed and operated from the very beginning as a combined heat, power and metal extraction system. In the technology envisioned , the metal - bearing geological formation will be manipulated in a way that the co - production of thermal energy and metals will be possible. As part of this, we will investigate how fluid chemical conditions can be optimised to facilitate recovery of specif ic metals, anticipating variable market demands at any given moment in the future. Four geographical areas have been chosen for detailed investigation based on pre - existing data and potential for CHPM development in mineralised areas in the United Kingdom (UK), Portugal, Romania and Sweden. This report summarises information relevant to the investigation area in the UK. The project aims to provide proof - of - concept for the following hypotheses: 1. The composition and structure of orebodies have certain advanta ges that could be used to our advantage when developing an EGS; 2. Metals can be leached from the orebodies in high concentrations over a prolonged period of time and may substantially influence the economics of EGS; 3. The continuous leaching of metals will increase system’s performance over time in a controlled way and without having to use high - pressure reservoir stimulation, minimizing potential detrimental impacts of both heat and metal extraction.