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Clear momentum for geothermal energy in Switzerland

Clear momentum for geothermal energy in Switzerland Drilling rig on site at Satigny/ Geneva, Switzerland (source: Geothermie 2020)
Alexander Richter 23 Sep 2021

With ongoing development of several projects in Switzerland, national geothermal association Geothermie Switzerland is seeing a certain momentum and growth at faster pace than ever before.

There clearly is a certain momentum for geothermal in Switzerland looking at the recent news on e.g. Geneva and other places pushing on geothermal projects. The national association Geothermal Switzerland sees this fast pace and describes the great dynamism in western Switzerland. In addition, he is also positive about the latest developments from German-speaking Switzerland.

The first federal medium-depth geothermal project is one of the latest developments from German-speaking Switzerland. This is to be built in the national sports center in Magglingen, as the association communicated on the occasion of the Geothermal Forum 2021 in Friborg. In Magglingen, the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (BBL) is currently realizing several new construction and renovation projects for the Federal Office for Sport (Baspo). At the same time, the existing decentralized gas heating systems are to be dismantled and replaced with centrally generated geothermal energy from a depth of around 1,300 meters and a new district heating network. However, it is still unclear whether the project will be implemented in this way: According to the BBL, the assumption that warm deep water is present in the underground of Magglingen has to be confirmed by detailed investigations and a test drilling.

In terms of subsurface exploration, the cantons of Geneva and Vaud are even further advanced, so Geothermal Switzerland. In Geneva, the underground is currently being explored across the board with 50,000 measurements, reports the association. In addition, the underground exploration in 30 municipalities and over an area of ??400 square kilometers in the districts of Nyon and Morges has been completed in Vaud.

Activities in Thurgau too

As further evidence of the advance of geothermal energy, the association is directing attention to eastern Switzerland. There, the Thurgau government asked parliament for CHF 30 million for exploration of the subsurface, it is said. Three specific geothermal projects for heat and electricity production are envisaged.

Geothermal Switzerland puts the economically usable potential of geothermal energy in Switzerland at at least 17 billion kWh. According to the association, this corresponds to a quarter of the heat requirement in the country.

Source: Energate Messenger