18 December 2010 Last updated at 06:30 ET

Eden Project geothermal plant plans to go ahead

Heat will be used in the Eden Project and sold to the National Grid

Plans for a major geothermal power plant have been given permission to be built at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

Cornwall Council gave the go-ahead for the EGS Energy scheme which uses heat from rocks below the surface.

Water from the two boreholes, both about 2.5 miles deep, will be heated by the hot rocks and then used to drive electricity turbines.

Drilling is expected to start next year with electricity being produced from the second half of 2013.

The plant will be on the north side of the Eden Project, a showcase for environmental projects at Bodelva, near St Austell.

Heat produced by the plant will be used to provide warmth for the Eden Project biomes, giant greenhouses where exotic plans are grown.

It should produce up to 4 megawatts of electricity for use by Eden with a surplus, enough for about 5,000 houses, going in to the National Grid.