A planning application has been submitted for a new geothermal power plant located in Wendron.
The application, which was submitted by Simon Allen of Wardell Armstrong LLP on behalf of Geothermal Engineering Ltd is for the development of a geothermal power plant including site preparation, the drilling of two deep geothermal wells, resource testing, construction of a binary cycle power station and the subsequent operation of the station.
The location of the site is based in an open field next to Manhay Farm in Wendron and is around 2.5 hectares in size.
The A394 is the closest main road towards the south of the site leading north-east to south-west from Penryn to Helston.
In the planning statement Wardell Armstrong LLP state that: "There is a clear need for renewable energy to provide green electricity and heating to meet the government's policy on decarbonisation and to meet renewable energy targets.
"The objective of the proposed development is to generate green electricity to feed into the national grid and renewable heat which, provided suitable projects can be found to utilise this, will be available to the local area by 2024."
The statement also states that construction of the site would take approximately 36 months, which would comprise of eight months of initial preparatory work with a further month of drilling mobilisation, seven months of drilling, then another month of drilling demobilisation.
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Five months of testing would then take place, followed by construction and commissioning of the generating facility.
The drilling phase of the facility would take another nine months, with the actual drilling taking place over a seven month period.
It is estimated that the operational lifespan of the facility would be 50 years.
On August 23 2021, Cornwall Council issued an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening opinion which concluded that: "The development does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment because, although comprising a schedule two development and exceeding the relevant schedule two criteria and thresholds, it lies outside of a 'sensitive area.'
"It is concluded is this case, that in view of the circumstances, that the proposed development would not be likely to have any significant effects on the environment by virtue of the scale, location and cumulative impact.
"Therefore and Environmental Impact Assessment is not required."
A decision is yet to be made on the planning application.
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