SUMMARY

NWE has to reduce CO2 emission. One major source of CO2 is the production of electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels, which could be vastly replaced by using deep geothermal energy (DGE). However, the exploration of DGE in most NWE regions requires specific expertise and technologies in the complex geological situations (strongly faulted high permeable carbonates and coarse clastic rocks) that lie across the borders between Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. It is the objective of DGE-Rollout to produce energy and reduce CO2 emissions by replacing fossil fuels through the increased usage of DGE in NWE for large-scale infrastructures requiring high-temperature heat supplies to cover their basic energy loads. This will be achieved by mapping and networking (WPT1), by the application of innovative decision, exploration strategies (WPT2) and testing for production optimization (WPT3). In two pilots (Balmatt, BE; Bochum, DE) production optimization will be tested by implementing high-temperature heat pumps and new cascading schemes from high (>100°C, big network) to low tempatures (>50°C, single enterprise) and to gain a CO2 reduction of 25 000 t/a. By realising further plants in DE, FR, BE, NL this will reach up to 160 000 t/a until 2022. It is estimated that 10 years after the project’s end, at least 1 600 000 t/a reduction will have been achieved. In the long term, it is expected to reach up to 7 000 000 t/a. Further activities will apply innovative decision and exploration strategies that cost less, reduce risks, are more reliable and will show a 3D Atlas of the complex geological situation as the spatial basis usable for DGE. To set the stage for increased public acceptance of DGE, tools, planning and legal conditions need to be evaluated and business models for enterprises undertaken. A network/cluster “NWE-DGE” will be set up to sustain the outputs and investments in the long term roll-out after the end of the project.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Project sub-objectives:1- Mapping and Networking to prepare the market Providing and harmonizing the knowledge baseline of DGE to develop the market in NWE - including DGE resource potential, the market/investor correlation and the current legal frameworks. Obtaining an overall view through an online map application merging the baseline sources to identify regional investment hotspots according to investor profiles. DGE Network will be established to share experiences and build new interactions.2. Decision and exploration support Create the basis for decisions to invest in DGE infrastructure and exploration strategies that are compared to the current methods cheaper, risks diminishing, more reliable by better finding the right spot to drill. Improvement of the DGE resource potential map. Development of an advanced exploration toolbox, decision flow chart for exploration, decision support chart and a standardized decision workflow check list, aiming to de-risk DGE projects in NWE.3. Testing for production optimization Demonstration of innovative techniques under real-live conditions at two sites to develop and improve further production optimization (e.g. high temperature heat pumps) to use DGE more effective for enterprises in different branches (energy and heat suppliers, industrial and agricultural enterprises) for an immediate CO2 reduction. Developing of an implementation plan for the future transition of large, today fossil fueled power plants to DGE in a case study