Utilising geothermal energy could unlock jobs in some of the most deprived areas of the North East, according to a report by a backbench MP.
Conservative Dr Kieran Mullan - who represents the Crewe and Nantwich constituency in Cheshire - worked with academics at Durham University to identify the top 45 places in the UK with deep geothermal plants, capitalising on the presence of hot water stored in rocks located at least one kilometre underground. The report highlights previous research indicating that building a network of plants could contribute 35,000 jobs to the economy by 2050 and also suggests an overlap with the identified high-potential sites for deep geothermal and areas most in need of so-called levelling-up.
Among the areas identified as having the potential to create jobs were Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside and County Durham, as well as a number of areas on Teesside. Former mines in the North East and geothermal schemes in Gateshead, Seaham and at North East firm Lanchester Wines are highlighted in the report.
