New plans are being drawn up for a geothermal heat plant for a third time – after planning permission expired for a previous scheme.

Stoke-on-Trent has been in line to get a deep geothermal well for a decade now, after government funding was secured for a distinct heat network (DHN) in 2014.

The scheme would see renewable heat from 4km below the surface being used to heat homes and businesses – potentially protecting customers from spikes in gas prices. But the heat plant, proposed for the former Greenhouse 2000 site, off Festival Way in Etruria, has yet to be built – despite planning permission for the project being granted twice, once in 2017 and again in 2021.

The 2021 permission has now expired, as three years has passed without the scheme getting underway. Stoke-on-Trent City Council says it is expecting a new planning application to be submitted, with Star Energy, the company behind the project, currently applying for funding.

Stoke-on-Trent has been in line to get a deep geothermal well for a decade now (Google).

The previous scheme included plans for two 4,000 metre exploration boreholes, which would be turned into operational wells, and an above ground energy centre.

A spokesperson for the city council said: "We are anticipating a new application in the future. The applicant is following government procedures, and awaiting outcomes of grant applications. We hope to update in the coming months."

The city council was awarded £19.75 million of government funding for its DHN project in 2014, as part of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire's City Deal. A DHN involves a closed loop of water pipes, allowing heat to be provided to all the buildings connected to the network – which can be far more efficient than individual central heating systems.

The first phase of Stoke-on-Trent's DHN has seen 4km of underground pipes installed in Stoke and Shelton, but the scheme is yet to become operational. While the City Deal cash has funded the installation of the pipes by the council, the geothermal heat plant was always expected to be delivered by the private sector.

The council was awarded £19.75 million of government funding for the project in 2014 (Nub News).

Gas boilers are set to provide the heat for the DHN until the geothermal plant is built.

Lincoln-based Star Energy is working with the city council and energy company SSE on the geothermal project. According to Star Energy's website, the plant could eventually produce up to 20MW of energy.

In April, Star Energy announced the closing of a new €25 million finance facility, part of which would be used to fund its geothermal projects in the UK and Croatia. Star Energy has been approached for comment.

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