GROUNDBREAKING technology could be on its way to Romsey after councillors voted to explore the potential for geothermal technology in the town.

Cllr Ian Culley proposed and Cllr Colin Burgess seconded a motion to investigate the suitability of Romsey for the establishment of a Geothermal District Heating Scheme on Tuesday, November 12, at the full Town Council meeting. 

According to the council, it will identify and invite the relevant experts to give a presentation. The outcome should indicate if a Feasibility Study should be undertaken and identify key stakeholders.

Cllr Ian Culley said: "Basically, in a nutshell, in layman's terms, a mile below our feet is a brilliant source of hot water [...] which could be ploughed all-round the town.

"The obvious site is, believe it or not, the brewery site. It's near the town centre, it'd be ideal and it's also got a source of water, so it'd be perfect and if you put some social housing there, obviously, they'd have nice, free hot water."

He continued: "This really is a thing of the future."

The British Geological Society (BGS) says geothermal energy is all energy stored in the form of heat beneath the surface of the solid earth. It is a reliable and constant source of low-carbon, renewable heat that is not dependent on weather conditions.

According to the Government Office for Science (GOS), the most significant opportunity geothermal energy presents is decarbonising heating buildings which accounts for around 17 per cent of UK emissions through deploying geothermal heat schemes at scale. 

The GOS also notes high project costs, the low maturity of the sector and specific financial and geological risks associated with geothermal projects mean that it is currently very challenging for geothermal projects in the UK to secure the funding they need.

Cllr Rohit Kohli was sceptical and reflected on his own negative experiences with geothermal heating and said: "As a former resident of an estate that was powered by geothermal heating, it was the most horrendous experience I have ever had.

"It cost me three times as much as if I was just powered by electricity at the time. You're not only paying for heating your home, you're paying for heat loss from the pipes where the pipes pump from to get it to your property, so that needs to be taken into account as well.

"If something goes wrong, it's material and very expensive to replace."