The Cheshire 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 the Glasgow Observatory, a research facility designed for investigating shallow, low-temperature, mine-water heat energy and potential heat storage resources, which opened in mid-2023.
The Cheshire Observatory is a unique subsurface research facility that will allow for detailed studies related to subsurface energy storage and geothermal heat. A drilling update shared by BGS in 2023 indicates that 20 boreholes were drilled for the facility, each equipped with fibre optic cables, an array of sensors, heat-exchange loops, and water sampling ports. Data collected from the drilling phase will also be made freely available.
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. More information is available at the UK Geoenergy Observatories website, or contact [email protected].
