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New economic zone southwest of Beijing could see large-scale geothermal heating

New economic zone southwest of Beijing could see large-scale geothermal heating Xiong'an New Economic Zone (source: Flickr, creative commons, www.news.cn, Sino-German Urbanization Partnership)
Parker O'Halloran 30 Aug 2017

Xiongan New Area, close to Beijing is being geologically surveyed for geothermal resources for the development of the area.

According to Chinanews.com, the Xiongan New Area has a stable geologic structure that is good for construction and underground infrastructure, as well as farmland and groundwater resources, according to the first phase of a geological survey released Wednesday, August 23rd.

China announced the plans in April to establish Xiongan New Area, a new economic zone about 100 kilometres southwest of Beijing that covers Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties in Hebei province.

Experts from China Geological Survey, a research bureau under the Ministry of Land and Resources, started the first stage of their survey in June.

Over 1,700 experts have participated in the first phase of the survey, which covered 1,770 square kilometres in the region, collecting extensive data on water, soil and other geological information.

 

The geologists also found that Xiongan New Area is rich geothermal energy resources in the shallow layers, up to 200 meters deep. This may provide more easily accessible sources of heat for large scale geothermal heating projects.

Geological survey authorities will continue to collect data on the area and assess for further uses.

By 2020, they will present comprehensive findings as the “transparent Xiongan” system, a compilation of multifaceted data from continuing surveys of space, resources, environment, and potential disasters, to fully support the city’s growth.

Source: Ecns.cn