Zwolle in the Netherlands to participate in project evaluating geothermal potential

Zwolle - Pelserbrugje, Netherlands (source: flickr/ Sjaak Kempe, creative commons)

Alexander Richter 23 Mar 2020

The municipality of Zwolle has signed a letter of intent with TNO to participate in the RESULT research project. RESULT is a TNO consortium with energy company ENGIE and drilling company Huisman that conducts research into geothermal energy. The project is unique in the Netherlands and could potentially mean a lot for Zwolle in terms of sustainability.

The Netherlands must have completely switched to renewable energy sources within 30 years. It is estimated that the country’s geothermal energy resources represent three times the annual heat supply of the Netherlands. As everywhere else, funding plays an important role. At the moment the cost for drilling for geothermal energy is costly and is challenging from a profit perspective. There are few places in the Netherlands that are suitable for drilling so deep. Partly because of the subsurface, drilling will therefore become extra expensive. To actually use geothermal energy, a geothermal energy power plant must be built. This is also extremely expensive.

The RESULT research project does not yet mean that Zwolle and its surroundings can make use of geothermal energy in the short term. It is a research project. The soil near Zwolle is also very suitable for a research project into geothermal energy. The layers of the earth are thin, so results can be achieved earlier. Initially, one borehole will be drilled. If it appears that sufficient heat can be obtained from the Zwolle soil, a second test drilling will take place and an above-ground installation will be built. If everything goes according to plan, the first test drilling will take place in 2022.

Source: de Swollenaer