Inclusion and prosperity

through training, engagement and business development

In addition to demonstrating the feasibility of direct heating and cooling through geothermal energy at its demonstration sites, GEMINI will develop other resources to support long-term implementation and take-up of this renewable resource. By bringing together outputs from the sites and other collected data, the project will enable and support a strong, sustainable geothermal energy sector on the island of Ireland. 

Multiple aspects need to be developed. They include carefully designed tools and products to support engagement with stakeholders in sectors such as education and training, business, planning, policymakers and government, as well as with community groups and the public. 

1.    Education, training and skills courses across the island 

• Educational materials for teachers will link geothermal energy and geoscience experts with schools, building on existing partnerships between the GEMINI geological survey partners and secondary school teachers. 

• 3rd and 4th level teaching modules will be developed with GEMINI academic partners UCD, DIAS, UU, QUB, TUD and ATU. These will integrate modules, specifically related to geothermal energy, into relevant geoscience, energy, energy system design, engineering and system design, and sustainability courses.

• A framework for skills and training courses at (i) apprenticeship and (ii) CPD (continuous professional development) levels. Led by ATU, this will support the SME and business sectors as they broaden expertise and staff skills.

2.    Building research capacity 

GEMINI academic and geological survey partners will deliver innovative research during the project, which will further build capacity on the island in areas such as geological modelling, geophysics, heat networks, hydrogeology, energy system design, business models and social science. The products of this research will be woven through the full range of GEMINI outputs and made publicly available on the GEMINI online platform.

3.    Community engagement for local geothermal projects

A pre-feasibility study, led by Codema, will be carried out for a cross-border community to assess the potential for geothermal energy community projects. To complement the technical assessment, TASC and ICBAN will work with communities to investigate the most effective ways to co-design and co-develop community geothermal energy projects.    

4.    Supporting the geothermal business sector

Engagement of a wide range of professionals and technical experts will be necessary for a flourishing geothermal sector across the island. QUB will conduct research to understands the needs, experiences and potential barriers for geothermal designers, installers and system operators. To support the development of the geothermal sector QUB will also assess sustainable geothermal energy business models for the island. This work aims to discover the most suitable ways to support geothermal businesses on the island.  

5.    Assessing behaviours, beliefs and perceptions of geothermal energy 

This research, led by QUB, will look at how communities perceive and understand risks associated with geothermal energy projects. Understanding how communities process information in the context of their belief systems and attitudes to place, will be important when communicating about future geothermal projects.

6.    Knowledge transfer for policy, regulation and local government

To fully realise the potential of geothermal energy on the island, planners and policymakers will need the best evidence, knowledge and data to implement the most suitable regulations and planning guidelines. Policy, regulation, legislation and planning rules for geothermal energy are new areas for both jurisdictions in this project. This work, led by Geological Survey Ireland with support from GSNI and RML, will develop specialist tools and training that will be provided to policymakers and planners  at local, regional and national levels. 

7.    An online platform to support the development of geothermal energy

The work completed at the demonstration sites, and results and data collected in the complementary business, governance and community studies, will be combined to deliver practical and up-to-date online platforms and tools. These will be available to the public and the multiple stakeholders who will help to deliver geothermal energy for the island of Ireland.  

All GEMINI partners are involved in these activities, either directly as described above, or indirectly through demonstration site or research outputs. A full list of project partners is given here.