Pilot project in Bern, Switzerland explores geo-storage of heat from waste disposal
Drilling rig for the Geospeicher project in Bern, Switzerland (source: ewb)
Carlo Cariaga
29 Mar 2023
The Geospeicher pilot project by ewb in Bern, Switzerland aims to store waste heat from a waste incineration facility in an underground reservoir 500 meters deep.
A pilot project in Bern, Switzerland will aim to store waste heat from a waste incineration plant underground. This stored heat can then be used in extracted in the winter. The project aims to create an energy reserve of 12 to 15 GWh, enough to heat around 1200 to 1500 large apartments.
The “Geospeicher” project is being developed by Bern-based energy supplier Energie Wasser Bern (ewb) and will be implemented at the Forsthaus energy center on the outskirts of Bern. Excess heat from the waste incineration facility, normally escaping unused through chimneys, will instead be stored 500 meters underground.
To this end, drilling is ongoing to target a sandstone layer that is part of the Molasse Basin. A recent update has indicated that this formation had already been hit at only 250 meters. Drill cores are being collected from the well, which should be useful for any further drilling plans.
Qualitative results of the planned geo-storage system should be available by the end of 2023. If everything goes to plan, the geo-storage system can be integrated into the energy center by 2026 at the earliest. According to ewb, the system can reach 80% efficiency (which is considerably very high) after ten years of operation.
ewb has provided 44% of the funding needed for the project. A 51% subsidy was granted by the Federal Office of Energy while the remaining 5% will come from the eco fund of the city of Bern.
ewb has produced a short video of how the geo-storage system works, as shown below:
In late 2022, Bern was the host city for the connect4geothermal event, organized by Geothermie Schweiz.
Source: Energeia Plus and ewb
