A mini-earthquake has halted geothermal drilling at the Eden Project in Cornwall.
No major damage was reported but all operations have been temporarily suspended pending an investigation.
“We are aware that a small seismic event was felt and heard in the vicinity of the Eden Geothermal site shortly after 9:20pm this evening 9 March,” the company said.
Eden Geothermal apologised to nearby residents who may have been affected by the tremour.
“An investigation and analysis of seismic monitoring data have confirmed that the event was linked to testing operations at Eden Geothermal,” the company added.
“No damage has been reported and the event was within regulatory limits, but in order to minimise the likelihood of further disturbance, we have halted operations while additional migration controls are put in place.”
Geothermal drilling started at the Eden Project in November last year. Officials at the attraction are planning on using hot rocks buried deep underground to superheat water to use at the site.
The hot water could then be used as a source of renewable energy. The initiative was dubbed the start of a “green industrial revolution” by the Eden Project’s co-founder Sir Tim Smit last year.
The Project has successfully drilled a geothermal well three miles deep into the Earth’s crust, making it the deepest of its kind in the UK.
Sir Tim Smit said: “The Holy Grail of renewables is constancy so that we get heat and power even when the sun don’t shine and the wind don’t blow.
“This is base load... the key to unlocking Britain’s fossil fuel dependence for energy. Energy from the centre of the Earth.”
Cornwall locals were left “freaked out” by the ‘mini-earthquake’ however, with Jenny Cox saying: “It sounded like a bomb had gone off in Penwithick.”
Kayleigh Gooch, another local resident, said: “Maybe you should’ve warned people. You freaked a lot of us out. And that must’ve been very strong for our houses to rumble like they did.”
Nick Pecen, responded to the Eden Project on social media, saying: “Please can you give more information on what was being done at the time of the event and an explanation of what you think happened under ground to cause a rumble that large from 5km down?
“Something pretty big must have moved a fair amount.”
