Council to establish JVC in bid to tap into geothermal energy

Cheshire East Council is looking to explore district heating and opportunities for geothermal and renewable energy.

The Council is seeking to appoint a joint venture partner before Christmas to enter into a contract to establish a joint venture company (JVC) in order to take advantage of the geology of the area.

The Cheshire basin is one of only six economically suitable sites in the UK for developing deep geothermal energy and according to preliminary studies it holds reserves of more than six times the national heat demand of the UK, with groundwater temperatures of between 75-110 degrees centigrade.

The ultimate aim of the venture is to deliver heating to homes across Cheshire East fuelled by a range of renewable energy sources, including but not limited to biomass, solar thermal, solar photo-voltaic and geothermal energy.

The Council has already established a knowledge transfer partnership with the University of Keele and has appointed a PhD student to undertake geological mapping of the area.

The joint venture will be formed as a private limited company with equal voting rights between the Council and its partner and an initial tie in period of five years. The appointed partner will not have the exclusive rights to develop renewable projects. The Council will retain the ability to approve new business cases on a project by project basis.

Councillor Rod Menlove, chairman of the Cheshire East Energy Ltd company said: "This is significant step by the Council to harness the power of renewable energy sources for the benefit of our residents. Yet again we are showing that we are an ambitious and innovative Council determined to address energy provision in a low-carbon future."

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Cheshire East Council
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Pete Taylor
Tuesday 10th November 2015 at 8:30 pm
Not another Council-owner private company, surely, Cllr Menlove? Other local Councils must be turning Lyme Green with envy.

Hopefully there will be no repeat of the CoSocius blunder: http://bit.ly/1kKDSbm

Quote from a previous article: "The Council's other wholly-owned arms-length companies, which seek to deliver a 'best fit' approach are: Tatton Enterprises Ltd; Engine of the North; Orbitas bereavement services; Ansa environmental services; Transport Service Solutions Ltd; CoSocius joint council services for ICT, human resources and financial services. Everybody Sport and Leisure Trust was also created by the Council as a charitable trust set up to deliver leisure services in Cheshire East."

What could possibly go wrong?
Nick Jones
Tuesday 10th November 2015 at 8:53 pm
Another distraction from the local plan....... This could be viable with the right people ... but the track record with finances at Lyme Green .... Co Socius.... etc are well documented ... as is their respective performance...
Has the JVC with the yellow line paint company expired ?? Best stick to the day job maybe ! as the bright ideas cost the tax payers money.
DELETED ACCOUNT
Wednesday 11th November 2015 at 1:27 pm
What I can't understand is why the geology of Cheshire needs mapping. The whole of Cheshire has been geologically mapped several times over. When was the funding for this Phd at Keele advertised? Who has been appointed to do it?
Terry Roeves
Wednesday 11th November 2015 at 3:33 pm
More socialism in action. CEC should leave such matters, like their other business ventures to private enterprise. If the opportunity is viable, then private venture capital will be available.
Silicon Valley never did and never will get involved with people who know nothing about the business or markets.
CEC please stop interfering with free enterprise.