New underground observatory open for research

We are delighted to announce that construction has been completed on the Cheshire Observatory, the final part of the UK Geoenergy Observatories network. The facility is now open for research activities.

The Observatory, located in the University of Chester’s Thornton Science Park, provides scientists with at-scale test facilities that can be used to optimise and de-risk subsurface energy storage systems and geothermal heat in an aquifer setting.

Research at the Observatories will help unlock the potential of geothermal energy to decarbonise the heating and cooling of homes and businesses, which together account for over a quarter of UK CO₂ emissions.

The Observatory is part of the UK Geoenergy Observatories network, a £31 million investment from the UK Government to deliver essential new data from the subsurface to build knowledge on clean energy. The network also includes an observatory in Glasgow, a data portal and a core scanning facility.

The Cheshire Observatory is available to the whole of the UK science community for research, innovation and training activities. Research studies funded through any source are welcome, including outside UKRI and industry-led research. To find out more about the UK Geoenergy Observatories, visit www.ukgeos.ac.uk or contact ukgeosenquiries@bgs.ac.uk.