ThinkGeoEnergy – Geothermal Energy News

New partnership to optimise entire sustainable geothermal heat supply chain, Netherlands

Dutch companies EnerTrans and Yeager Energy have formed a strategic partnership to offer efficient and lower cost sustainable, and most importantly a reliable and affordable heat supply to industries, businesses, greenhouses and consumers.

Following on from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement the Dutch Government has, with unprecedented speed, passed a Climate Law, established a National Climate Agreement and established subsidy system for renewable energy. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49% in 2030 and 95% in 2050 (in comparison to 1990).

This week, Dutch geothermal energy operating company Yeager Energy B.V. announced a new strategic partnership with EnerTrans also from the Netherlands. In April 2020, we reported on in the context of a collaboration with drilling firm Huisman Geo earlier this year,  The new collaboration combines the expertise in district heating network development and operation of Enertrans with the expertise of Yeager Energy in integrated surface and sub-surface experience.

The application of low-enthalpy geothermal energy in The Netherlands is focussed on the supply of sustainable heat for space heating (businesses and consumers), hot water supply and support of certain industry processes. Applications are found in the built environment (homes, offices and utility buildings), greenhouses and industry. Geothermal power generation is not an option in The Netherlands as the expected water temperatures in conventional geothermal wells (not ultra-deep) do not exceed 100°C.

Heat energy consumption in the Netherlands is about 41% of the total energy consumption (electricity, transport and heating combined). The majority of heat is consumed in the built environment (49%) followed by the industry (41%) and agriculture (10%).

Some 95% of al households in The Netherlands use gas as the primary source for heating, hot water and cooking.  Only 5% of all households in The Netherlands are connected to a district heating network of which only a small part is truly sustainable. As a result here is an enormous scope for constructing and operating sustainable district heating networks with geothermal energy and other sources of sustainable heat supply.

Natural gas in The Netherlands has always been an continuously available, reliable and very affordable source of energy. There is an expectation that, in the transition from natural gas to a more sustainable source of energy, this new source of energy will be an equally available, reliable and affordable source of energy.

Yeager Energy believes that smart district heating networks (Smart Grids) in combination with geothermal energy and other sources of sustainable heat can provide these functions if it is developed and operated as one integrated system in a technically sound and efficient manner and with a minimum amount of technical and/or commercial interfaces.

It is Yeager Energy’s believe that in order to achieve this the entire heat supply chain – from the source (geothermal wells and other sources of sustainable heat), transportation, distributions and the sales of heat – needs to be developed and operated as one technical and commercial system by a single party. Having multiple parties with different interests in the heat supply chain will mean more interfaces and will likely lead to technical and commercial inefficiencies. It is expected that this arrangement will increases the costs and affects the availability, reliability and affordability.

Yeager Energy is convinced that taking an integrated approach in the development and operations of sustainable district heating networks is the only way to guarantee availability, reliability and affordability to its customers.

With the partnership announced this week, the goal is to “realise greater efficiencies and lower costs leading to an innovative, sustainable, and most importantly a reliable and affordable heat supply to industries, businesses, greenhouses and consumers. The companies will jointly develop the complete heat supply chain form the source (geothermal and other sustainable sources of heat), transportation and distribution (District Heating Networks), to the sales of heat.”

About EnerTrans

EnerTrans develops and operates district heating projects including for top tier customers. This involves the modelling, designing and construction of district heating networks as well as the transportation, distribution and sales of heat and customer support. EnertTrans operates with its sister companies Energy Engineering Solutions (EES) Holland B.V. and Nijkamp Energiedistributie B.V.

About Yeager Energy

Yeager Energy has a number of geothermal exploration licenses under application and is currently evaluating a significant number of additional geothermal energy opportunities. Yeager Energy has the capabilities to explore, appraise, develop, operate and maintain geothermal energy projects (technical and non-technical). Yeager Energy is an approved Geothermal Operator.

Source: Yeager Energy, EnerTrans

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