Geothermal energy: NI children enjoy virtual vision of future heat source

Darcy from Dundonald Primary School was among the school children learning from the virtual reality experience

A new mobile visitor centre will allow people to go beneath the surface of the earth, as Northern Ireland's potential for geothermal energy is explored.

Pilot projects are getting under way at the Stormont estate and in the CAFRE campus at Greenmount in Antrim.

The GeoEnergy NI project is examining the potential for using the earth itself to help heat homes or even entire districts.

School children are learning from the virtual reality experience.

"It's not like greenhouse gases," said Millie from Dundonald Primary School, on the outskirts of east Belfast.

"It's like energy that's better for the earth."

Jayden and Ion, from Holy Trinity Primary School in west Belfast, also tried out the headsets.

"If you squeeze air, it can make it heat up," said Jayden.

"And then you can take the heat from it and use the heat."

Jayden and Ion from Holy Trinity Primary School in west Belfast also tried out the headsets

Using the earth to both heat and cool properties has been done since ancient Roman times.

Countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands use the modern technology version.

However, it has been relatively unknown in Northern Ireland until now.

Ryan White, head of heat, buildings and climate change at the Department for the Economy, said: "The geothermal potential in Northern Ireland is significant.

"We have a unique geology here that lends itself to this roll-out in this type of technology," he added.

"Heat are some of our more stubborn emissions to de-carbonise here in Northern Ireland, and whilst we've had successes in electricity, we're looking to a diverse heat mix here in Northern Ireland going forward."

Ryan White from the Department for the Economy said the geothermal potential in Northern Ireland is significant

Thanks to sandstone layers, drilling far down into the ground to access the heat naturally stored there is much more feasible in Northern Ireland than in other parts of the world.

Pipes can use the heat in the ground to heat a property, with a ground source heat pump.

The pipes can also be dug deeper to access the hotter warmth stored in aquifers and that heat can be used for a large-scale building or even a district.

Those behind the project say it could make a huge difference to how we heat our homes.

"A significant amount of the properties are connected to a gas grid," said Dr Marie Cowan from the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI).

"An awful lot of us who live in the countryside are not, so you either have an oil tank or coal, which is basically carbon intensive.

"So the opportunity is perhaps, in the same way as you distribute gas, you could distribute heat."

Dr Marie Cowan from the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland outlined the possibilities of the project

The exploration of geothermal energy is part of Stormont's energy strategy action plan, which aims to more than halve emissions from the energy sector by 2030.

'Really cool'

The mobile visitor centre was launched during the Royal Society of Chemistry's annual Science and Stormont event, before travelling around Northern Ireland as part of a geothermal information roadshow.

And the verdict of some of the first people to try it out?

Darcy, from Dundonald Primary School, summed it up.

"It's really cool, how you can learn about it, but it's like you're there, and when you come back to reality it's really weird.

"It's all about the warmth and I think it's just really cool."