Oct 12 - Belfast News Letter, The

ENERGY from the ground could be used to generate heat and electricity in Northern Ireland, according to research published today.

A study suggests the Province has considerable geothermal resources which could be used as a green alternative to fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy is extracted from the earth for heating and electricity generation from natural steam, hot water or hot dry rocks in the earth&s crust.

Andy McCrea, director of the Action Renewables initiative, said he was encouraged by the findings.

Mr McCrea said: This study shows that Northern Ireland has significant shallow geothermal resources.

These can be used for heating homes, offices and large industrial and agricultural buildings through ground source heat pumps.

Although use of this technology in Northern Ireland is increasing there is much more potential to exploit this largely untapped resource.

Heat pumps are a clean, safe and environmentally friendly means of heating and cooling buildings and can lead to significant reductions in the use of fossil fuels.$

In a bid to promote renewable energy the Government today announced a pounds 400,000 fund for innovative demonstration projects using shallow geothermal technology or wood fuels.

Jenny Pyper, head of energy at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment said: Encouraging the use of a diverse portfolio of renewable energy technologies is an urgent priority for Government as it offers opportunities to increase fuel diversity, reduce environmental pollution and in many cases helps address fuel poverty.

Discovering the potential of geothermal energy in Northern Ireland has added a new dimension to our work and the demonstration fund will provide real evidence of how businesses and householders here can benefit from using heat pump and wood energy technologies.$

Ms Pyper said in the long term it would have to be established whether the deep geothermal resources already discovered would be of sufficient quality to drive commercial scale electricity generators.

The Government has asked Action Renewables ! a joint initiative between DETI and the Viridian Group ! to develop a Campaign for Take Off for the development of shallow geothermal energy in Northern Ireland.