GEOTHERMAL energy could revolutionise how food, drink and farming access a genuinely sustainable source of electrical generation and heat in Cornwall, according to a new report.

The study, by Great Cornish Food in Truro, evaluates how businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly could use deep or shallow geothermal to cut costs and improve resilience and long-term sustainability.

It says Cornwall’s agrifood industry is worth £2 billion a year and provides 20 per cent of jobs, but faces mounting energy costs, grid constraints and urgent decarbonisation targets.

Geothermal energy, derived from the heat beneath the earth’s surface, is uniquely positioned to address this, offering stable, local, renewable energy with proven technology and operational examples already established.

Geologically, the far South West sits on a 250-km long body of granite, known as the Cornubian Batholith, stretching from the Isles of Scilly to Dartmoor. Deep drilling projects at the Eden Project and United Downs and, at a shallower depth, the ground source heating programme Heat the Streets at Stithians, are among those showing geothermal’s potential.

The study says consultations with businesses, developers, public sector bodies and stakeholders revealed strong demand for reliable, low-carbon heat and cooling. It found that key locations in the county are suited to enable multiple users to share geothermal infrastructure, thereby reducing individual risk and delivering healthy returns on investment.

The report sets out a bold programme to accelerate the use of geothermal energy across the agrifood sector, calling for early‑stage feasibility work, targeted funding support and streamlined planning pathways to unlock new low‑carbon heat projects that align with regional goals for net zero by 2045, local food security, and rural economic development.

Launching the report, Great Cornish Food managing director Richard Bain said the study can be a valuable guide for other parts of the country beyond the far South West. “The agrifood sector is the beating heart of Cornish manufacturing, providing great products to Cornwall, the rest of the country, and beyond,” he said.

“But we urgently need to build resilience by establishing a step change in stable, renewable and clean sources of energy.

“With the United Downs wells now generating and exporting electricity to the grid and several study sites in Cornwall proving viability for electrical generation, the agrifood sector should be genuinely excited at the prospect of utilising this extensive heat source.”

Richard added: “We just can’t ignore this energy that will provide heat and power round the clock, whatever the weather or the season due to Cornwall’s special geology. Let’s wake the sleeping giant!”

The new study is part of Truro-Based Great Cornish Food’s Raising the Bar Programme, part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. A key aim is to build upon the 2024 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Agrifood Strategy in which geothermal energy was identified as an opportunity for agrifood businesses in Cornwall to decarbonise their process energy needs.

The full report can be read at https://greatcornishfood.co.uk.