Growing Point plant nursery
Growing Point is the Eden's state-of-the-art sustainable plant nursery, with the capacity to product over one million plants per year.
Eden Geothermal Energy Project
The Eden Project is a partner on a groundbreaking geothermal energy project right here on our site, harnessing naturally occurring sustainable energy from the rock deep underground – providing heat to our Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes and brand new state-of-the-art plant nursery.
This project plays a significant role in our journey to net zero and to becoming a climate positive organisation by 2030.
What is geothermal energy?
What's so good about geothermal?
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Geothermal is the only renewable energy resource not affected by the weather; it is 'on' 24 hours a day, with plants typically running over 90% of the time.
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The surface area of the plant is the smallest of any power source, and with buildings no higher than 10m, geothermal energy has a low impact on the landscape.
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It's estimated that geothermal could provide all the heat the UK needs.
What we're doing
In partnership with EGS Energy and Bestec UK, we've set up a new company – Eden Geothermal Ltd – that has built a geothermal plant on the Eden Project site, using the heat from the granite underground.
On a site the size of a football pitch close to the main gate, we have drilled a single well 5.3km deep into the rock. The geothermal plant will produce enough heat for Eden's Biomes and new nursery, known as Growing Point.
A vacuum insulated tube (VIT) has been inserted into the well to 4000m, so hot water is pumped up to the surface using a submersible pump. The hot water runs through a heat exchanger to deliver heat at 85°C. The same water is then re-circulated to be superheated and used again. This is called a coaxial system.
The £22m project has been funded by the European Union, Cornwall Council and an institutional investor.
How deep have we drilled?
Eden's geothermal heating system
We have created a single well heat exchanger and installed a 3.8km heat main to link the geothermal site to Eden's new state-of-the-art nursery – Growing Point – and our Biomes.
Quote from Gus Grand
“If we can begin a [geothermal] industry here that learns how to drill cheaper and quicker, and bring costs down, the renewable problem is solved.”
Dig deeper into Eden Geothermal
Funders and delivery partners
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