Former oil drilling research lab to push geothermal R&D in the Netherlands
Commitments for an advanced geothermal laboratory in Rijswijk, Netherlands have been renewed supporting companies in the geothermal sector.
The initiators of the ‘Rijswijk Center for Sustainable Geo-Energy’ (RCSG) located in Delft, Netherlands, have renewed their commitment and highlighted the importance of the center. The lab was built by Shell at the time and was transferred to a consortium with knowledge partners TNO, TU Delft, Utrecht University and EBN. The government, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the province of South Holland and the municipality of Rijswijk participate.
Drilling installation above the research pit of almost 400 meters of the RCSG geothermal innovation lab.
The contracts for renewal of this commitment until 2024 have recently been signed. This means that this unique field lab can continue to make an important contribution to accelerating the development of geothermal energy. The future of a sustainable energy supply as part of the energy transition largely rests on the value and knowledge of the Dutch subsurface. For example, geothermal energy projects can be tested on a full scale in Rijswijk.
Importance of geothermal energy
Geothermal energy can play a substantial role in the energy transition. It is a source of sustainable heat with which houses and buildings can be heated sustainably. Geothermal energy is expected to provide a quarter of the Dutch heat demand by 2050. To accelerate the development of geothermal energy, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, Energy Management Netherlands, Province of South Holland, Municipality of Rijswijk and TNO have set up the RCSG.
The RCSG was officially opened on March 5, 2020 and offers companies active in the field of geothermal energy the opportunity to use the advanced laboratory. The center has 20 installations covering the full spectrum of underground drilling. All facilities are available to test and experiment with new drilling techniques and materials under high pressure and temperature, comparable to those in the Dutch subsurface. Almost all underground conditions in the Netherlands can be simulated there.
Only a few comparable centers exist worldwide. The RCSG offers companies access to modern facilities that they would otherwise not be able to use, or with difficulty, due to the high investments involved in this type of research. The extension of the commitment enables the center to grow further and to facilitate even better companies that want to experiment with new drilling techniques and materials. The RCSG makes it possible for companies and knowledge institutions to take major steps in the transition to a sustainable energy system in close cooperation through the development of new technology .
Source: TNO