Geothermal research drilling begins in De Bilt, Netherlands
Drilling of a geothermal research well as part of the SCAN project of EBN and TNO has started in the De Bilt municipality in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Research drilling for geothermal evaluation has started in the municipality of De Bilt in Utrecht, Netherlands. The exploration well will be drilled to a maximum depth of about 2000 meters, and drilling will take approximately 10 -12 weeks.
The drilling in De Bilt is part of the national SCAN programme that aims to evaluate the geothermal resources in the Netherlands. The programme is being carried out by Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) in collaboration with TNO. This will be the fourth research drilling under the SCAN programme after succesfull drilling operations in Ouder-Amstel, Heijningen, and Heesch.
Drilling at the Utrechtseweg site in De Bilt aims to collect subsurface data on several layers which can provide information on the viability of developing geothermal resources in the northern part of Utrecth, North Holland, Flevoland, and Gelderland.
Although the research well is not meant to generate heat, it can create the basis for extracting geothermal heat in the future. This is in line with the initiative of the De Bilt municipality to transition away from natural gas and diversify its renewable energy portfolio. “We want to generate more and more green energy, but at the moment we cannot always get all the energy on the electricity grid. We are now only allowed to generate solar and wind energy. That is why every alternative form of energy generation is one to be taken seriously,” said Alderman Krischan Hagedoorn.
“It really feels like looking for gold to me, because how great would it be if we could help to realize a production location with this exploratory drilling, in De Bilt or nearby?”
Source: Omgevingsdients regio Utrecht and SCAN
