Can geothermal energy be developed in any part of the country?
Not every area is suitable for geothermal power plants. They need sites with hot rock near to the surface and which is sufficiently fractured to allow the (heated) water to pass. There are areas of hot rocks in the North Pennines, parts of southern England and Derbyshire, but the UK has a far more limited resource compared to other countries such as Iceland or New Zealand. Heat pumps need access to enough ground surrounding the development or to suitable bodies of water and groundwater nearby. Lakes, canals and tidal mudflats are potential heat sources for the pumps. Areas with aquifers are good for large ground-source heat schemes.
