Drilling commences at Vinzel geothermal project, Switzerland

Representatives of the authorities and the companies and organizations involved at the start of the drilling work at Vinzel, Switzerland (source: Geothermie Schweiz)

Drilling for the planned geothermal project at Vinzel, Switzerland by EnergeÔ has officially commenced as of 21 November 2022. The plan is to drill a production well to a depth of 2300 meters. This will take approximately 60 days, after which well tests will be completed which will determine the decision to drill a reinjection well.

The site at Vinzel had been identified as having a high potential for geothermal after a three-week seismic survey across 30 municipalities in the Nyon and Morges districts. EnergeÔ Director Daniel Clement had previously expressed optimism for geothermal development at Vinzel, as it had a favorable geological environment with nearby structures to promote water circulation.

The current plan is to drill to target the Dogger formation, a geological layer of naturally fractured limestone that will require no engineered hydraulic fracturing. Upon completion of the first well, flow and temperature tests will be done to confirm the viability of the resource. A decision will then be made on whether to proceed with the drilling of a reinjection well. Completion of this doublet is expected by the summer of 2023.

The forecasts based on existing data is a resource with temperatures between 80 to 85 degrees Celsius and flowrate between 30 to 60 liters per second. This resource will make it possible to heat 1500 to 3000 households for at least 40 years.

Upon completion of the drilling of the two wells, it will be the responsibility of EnergeÔ to build the “geothermal loop” with surface facilities and heat exchanger. The second circuit, which will take heat from the doublet and into the consumers, will be the responsibility of a company called ThermorésÔ.

“It is with excitement that we are finally entering the home stretch of the project, which is being fleshed out against the backdrop of an unprecedented energy crisis. Interest in this type of energy is of course growing and we should be able to offer a real domestic solution to the current problem. In our region, the potential of geothermal energy was scientifically proven last year by the results of our prospecting project,” said Daniel Clément, Director of EnergeÔ SA.

“The experience and skills that EnergeÔ has acquired over the last ten years and the newly generated knowledge give geothermal energy a real place and excellent prospects in the energy mix of French-speaking Switzerland ,” added Clement.

EnergeÔ has also set up a publicly open exhibition pavilion next to the drill site that provides information about geothermal energy and how the plant in Vinzel works. Guided tours of the entire site will be offered soon.

Source: Geothermie Schweiz