Developers optimistic about Leeuwarden geothermal heating project

Medical Center Leeuwarden, Netherlands (source: Luitenb – commons/ wikimedia)

Warmte van Leeuwarden, the developer of the Leeuwarden geothermal project in the Netherlands, have expressed optimism about the project’s success. This statement was made after an extensive series of tests and laboratory analyses on the first drilled well of the project.

Wartme van Leeuwarden is a joint initiative of Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma, Ennatural, Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) and Shell. These four companies have formed a consortium that aims to investigate the possibility of developing a geothermal resource for district heating in Leeuwarden.

As we reported, drilling in Leeuwarden started in 3Q 2021. Drilling was carried out by DrillTec Nederland BV with supervision from Well Engineering Partners (WEP) from Hoogeveen. The first well was drilled to a depth of 2.7 kilometers.

Initial well testing indicated that the well had a low flowrate. Testing and lab analyses were done to identify the cause of this issue. Based on the results of the test, the developers are optimistic that the issue can be addressed by clearing the well and making new perforations. Work on the well, including doing new production tests, will start on mid-April and will take approximately two weeks.

If all goes well, the project can proceed to the construction and installation of a heat network after the summer. Drilling of a second well is planned in the spring of 2023 and heat can then be supplied after summer of the same year. The project initially aims to supply heat to large customers such as the MCL hospital, but could late also serve thousands of households.

Source: Warmte van Leeuwarden