current project
GEMINI
A €20 million project led by CODEMA, focused on promoting opportunities for geo-thermal energy on the island of Ireland. GEMINI is a project supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Project Overview
Developing the Future of Geothermal Energy
GEMINI is being led by CODEMA – Dublin’s Energy Agency, with the aim to develop the market for geothermal energy on the island of Ireland, to de-risk both shallow and deep geothermal energy projects, and to create conditions for job creation and public participation. The project commenced on 16th September 2024, and the project website is www.geminigeothermal.com The following detail relates to the Community Engagement programme that ICBAN and partners will be involved in the Lough Mac Neans area.
Community Engagement in the Lough MacNean Area
Work in the cross-border area of Lough MacNean is a unique strand of the GEMINI project. As a deliberative democracy programme, its purpose is to facilitate respectful and ‘bottom up’ engagement on local awareness and understanding of geothermal energy, supporting the communities as they shape what happens in their area.
Although GEMINI has collected information at a national level on the awareness and perception of geothermal energy, work here will refine this at a more local level.
The GEMINI Project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). PEACEPLUS promotes the opportunity for a ‘Programme for citizens to raise awareness and understanding of the benefits of geothermal heating solutions.’ The GEMINI project will deliver on this by creating an opportunity for the communities of the Lough MacNean area to examine related community initiatives. This is the only border region for which this opportunity has been provided and will build on previous community engagement activities in the area.
Discussions will feature the potential benefits of geothermal energy, the perceived and real risks associated with geothermal energy, and provide clarification on the practical steps and decision-making processes involved in deploying geothermal energy systems at a local and community level. With a focus on social science, no physical work such as drilling or on-site fieldwork will be undertaken here as part of the GEMINI project.
From early 2026, engagement in the Lough MacNean focus area will involve dialogue, workshops and meetings with members of local communities, sharing tools and information about energy needs in the area, as well as potential solutions. In the context of the GEMINI Project, this will focus on geothermal energy.
A central objective is to ensure local communities have the opportunity to consider all information available about potential geothermal energy options, including the processes involved. This will ensure they are in a strong position to make an informed decision about the suitability of moving forward with any future geothermal project as part of a community-led initiative.
Register Your interestCrucially, if the community opts against progressing any geothermal opportunities, they will not be progressed. That is the fundamental design and spirit of a deliberative democracy programme.
At the end of the project’s deliberative democracy process, a report on the final social science outcomes (and any technical solutions, such as geothermal heat pumps, heat networks, etc, that are discussed with the communities) will be produced and publicly available. Should communities express an interest in progressing a future geothermal project, this report could prove helpful in securing funding.
For Frequently Asked Questions on this element of the project please refer to the GEMINI project page Lough MacNean | GEMINI – Demonstration to Transformation
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