A GROUND-BREAKING study has revealed that enough heat could be generated by the sea to provide central heating and hot water to homes across Porthleven, which could revolutionise the way energy is produced in coastal towns all over the UK.

A community-owned heat network would see Porthleven become the first place in the country to use the sea to provide their energy in a clean, renewable way.

However, the project has currently stalled due to the costs involved.

The research carried out shows that it is possible, in the first instance, to provide heat and hot water to an initial 674 properties in Porthleven, including the primary school, for a cost of £13.25million returned over 20 years.

As a result, while the project is technically feasible, the report from consultants commissioned by Porthleven Town Council concludes that economically it would be a struggle to take forward without a private benefactor, because of the low return on investment.

Revealing the findings to the town council this week, member Alan Jorgensen, who has been leading the project, said: “This is pioneering stuff in terms of using sea water. The technology is tried and tested – there’s nothing new there; all over the world are ground-source heat pumps.

“This has wider implications, not just for the current community and future generations, but coastal communities around the UK and globally.”

Quoting from the report, he added though: “No private financing will be possible for this installation as there will not be sufficient returns available to attract that finance.

“This means that while it’s technically viable the project is unlikely to be economically viable unless significant grant funding and/or low cost public funding can be secured.”

The council was given funding from the Rural Communities Energy Fund to investigate the feasibility of a community-owned heat network for Porthleven, using heat from sea water. It works on the same principle as ground-source heating, which is used successfully in other parts of the county and around the world.

Residents would have a condensing unit installed in their house, around the same size as a boiler, which would heat their home and hot water provided the sea remained at an average of 10°C or higher – dropping to a minimum of no lower than 8°C.

If not enough heat was being provided, people would be able to turn up the compressor in their condenser unit and start using their electricity.

Customers would pay their electricity supplier for their heat use through electricity bills to power their heat pump and maintenance of the equipment. They would also pay a standing charge to the owner/operator of the pump station and infrastructure, to cover administration, electricity to operate the central pumps and general maintenance.

The report acknowledges that the work require to install the seawater pipes and heat network would be “considerable” and involve “significant upheaval,” but adds the long term benefits to Porthleven were “also considerable,” including a reduced cost of heating for residents and businesses, and a “significant reduction in CO² emissions.”

At their meeting on Thursday, the town councillors agreed to submit the report but not take its findings any further at this stage, unless other recommendations or suggestions came forward to help the project progress.

Mr Jorgensen added: “There may be significant developments that come from this report, but I think these will come from people looking it up in central government and approaching the community again.”

Anyone can have a copy of the 90-page report emailed to them by contacting town clerk Corrie Thompson via porthleventc@tiscali.co.uk.