UK Geothermal Platform

What it contains

Launched 11 August 2025. Over 90 layers synthesising UK geothermal evidence into four technology summaries - shallow closed loop, shallow open loop, deep hydrothermal / hot sedimentary aquifers, and engineered geothermal systems in granites - plus supporting geological (boreholes, wells, seismic, faults, temperature models), hydrogeological (groundwater bodies, source protection zones, monitoring stations), coal mining (mine water heat, waste heat) and environmental constraint layers. Sources include BGS, the Mining Remediation Authority, the Environment Agency, NRW, SEPA, the North Sea Transition Authority and UKOGL. Headline finding: closed-loop is technically deployable almost anywhere in GB, with up to 55% of the population able to extract about 15,000 kWh/yr from a single 150 m borehole.

When you need it

Not yet mapped to a project stage. The stage axis is a first pass against a draft matrix, and a record with no stage means nobody has placed it rather than that it is useful at none.

Coverage and detail

Nations

Not stated

Resolution

National to local; technology summary layers on a GB grid; component layers at source resolution

Formats

Map explorer; GeoNetwork metadata catalogue; downloads where the source licence permits

Update cadence

Periodic catalogue updates since launch

Access and machine route

Licence as stated

Mixed - OGL for the open subset; some layers view-only; some BGS data commercially licensed from GBP 165 administration fee

Assertion source

as published by British Geological Survey, funded by DESNZ through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio

Protocol

OGC WMS/WFS per layer + GeoNetwork REST/CSW for metadata

Harvest note

Partial - metadata fully, data layer by layer subject to licence machine_endpoint field held prose, not a URL: BGS GeoNetwork metadata catalogue plus per-layer OGC services where published

Caveats

THE HEADLINE COVERAGE GAP: BGS's own announcement describes GREAT BRITAIN coverage for the four technology assessments. Northern Ireland is drawn in only through GSNI source layers, not through the derived technology summaries, so the UK's flagship geothermal screening product does not screen Northern Ireland. Mixed licensing means the most useful derived layers are not all redistributable.

Classification

Category

Unassigned

Assigned by

Not yet determined

Depth domain

Mine workings

Technology

Closed-loop GSHP, Open-loop / ATES, Mine water, Hot sedimentary aquifer, EGS, Deep closed-loop

Data form

Raster, Time series, Point observation

Evidence confidence

Not yet assessed. Only a person can set this.

How current this entry is

Last updated here

2026-09-22

Last checked against the holder

2026-09-07

Checked by a person

Not yet. Nobody has read this entry.

Catalogue id

uk-geothermal-platform