News

Geothermal heating potential of up to 300 MW for Copenhagen, Denmark

Geothermal heating potential of up to 300 MW for Copenhagen, Denmark Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark (source: flickr/ JD Lasica, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 5 Dec 2021

New geothermal permits granted in Denmark could see development of geothermal heating for the Danish Capital Copenhagen.

Danish District Heating (Dansk Fjernvarme) is welcoming the announced  permits on geothermal exploration and utilization Denmark.

Heating manager at Dansk Fjernvarme, Søren Berg Lorenzen, is pleased that the enormous potential for utilizing geothermal energy in and around the Greater Copenhagen area finally seems to be a reality.

This is done on the basis that the Minister of Climate, Dan Jørgensen, has granted the exclusive right to explore and extract geothermal energy in the Greater Copenhagen area and Holbæk and Ringsted to the AP Møller Holding-owned Innargi.

– It is good that a decision has finally been made regarding the right to investigate and recover geothermal energy in the Greater Copenhagen area. Varmeplan Danmark 2021 recently confirmed that the potential is great, but the last few years’ uncertainty about the rights has prevented us from moving forward with the utilization of the geothermal energy, says Søren Berg Lorenzen.

He also believes that the Danish district heating companies now have more opportunities to be able to realize the potential. Because even though GEOOP did not run with the permit in the Greater Copenhagen area, the applications show that there is not just one, but two capital-strong, competent and experienced players in the Danish market.

Regulatory framework must be in place

Specifically, he views positively the announcements from Innargi about wanting to involve the district heating companies in the further process and welcomes the fact that they will be one of the first to enter into real negotiations with the local district heating companies – HOFOR, CTR and VEKS – the conditions for the trade in geothermal heat.

– If we are to continue with the geothermal energy in the rest of the country, it is necessary that we clarify the regulatory framework as soon as possible. At the start of the year, the Danish Energy Agency initiated a task force work, which will continue in 2022. Hopefully, however, the regulation can be clarified somewhat more quickly – the Danish Energy Agency has at least given us that prospect, says Søren Berg Lorenzen.

Innargi sees great potential

Innargi got the rights before GEOOP, and is now in the process of analyzing geological data and entering into agreements with district heating companies in the Greater Copenhagen area. Not least the Greater Copenhagen companies.

– We believe that geothermal energy can become really big in Copenhagen, and we see a potential of more than 1 GW. Initially, we expect to make a large-scale plant of 200-300 MW in Copenhagen, which can take over from Avedøreværket’s Blocks 1 and 2, which are in operation until 2032 and 2033, says Samir Abboud, top manager in Innargi, to EnergiWatch.

Source: Dansk Fjernvarme