No, Geothermal is not the same as Fracking. The concept proven at United Downs relies on circulating water through natural fractures in the rock to generate low-carbon, renewable energy. This is not the same as fracking, where a large volume of fluid with a complex chemical composition is injected at extremely high pressures to create new fractures in intact rock, to drain the oil or gas from the reservoir.

Geothermal power projects simply circulate fresh water in pre-existing fractures and, once the heat has been used at the surface, the fluid is reinjected into the same formation to re-heat.