THE Redruth area could become the home of the first commercial scale geothermal power plant in the UK.

Geothermal Engineering Ltd announced plans this week to develop 'hot rock' energy on a site on an industrial estate at St Day.

The plant would provide 10 megawatts of electricity to the National Grid and up to 55 megawatts of renewable heat for use locally.

Geothermal systems use the earth's natural heat as a power source. Five-kilometre deep holes would be drilled in to the ground at St Day to reach rocks with a temperature in excess of 170 degrees centigrade.

Water would be pumped into the rock, returning to the surface as hot water or steam, which would be used to power turbines to generate electricity and also provide renewable heat.

Geothermal Engineering Ltd was set up in 2008 by Ryan Law. The company's technical board includes Tony Batchelor, who ran the original Hot Rocks project in Cornwall that was in operation between 1976 and 1991.

Mr Law said: "Geothermal energy has been in use for millennia, even in the UK where the Romans used it for bathing. Modern technology allows us to target deeper, hotter geothermal resources to provide a sustainable source of electricity and heat.

"There is significant potential for geothermal energy to encourage investment into the region and re-empower the local community.

"Unlike wind or wave power, which uses local resources to power the National Grid, the renewable heat generated by the geothermal plant has to be used locally and will therefore have direct impact on the local economy and community."

The company expects its plans to provide local employment, both in the building and maintenance of the plant, and to bring benefits to the community in the form of heating.

Subject to planning approval, it hopes to start drilling in 2010 and have the plant operational by 2013.

Mining villages' county councillor Mark Kaczmarek welcomed the company's interest in the area.

He said: "I think we have to examine all types of renewable energy and I am delighted that they have picked a location in a former mining area to carry out their research.

"If they are successful, they will provide major benefits for local businesses and the community."

The company is holding a public exhibition of its proposals at Mill's Hall, Carharrack on Tuesday, October 27, from 3pm to 8pm and on Wednesday, October 28, from 9am to 1pm.