Geo4all program launched to advance geothermal research in the Netherlands

The launch event of the Geo4all innovation program at the Energy Cave in Rijswijk, Netherlands (source: Geothermie Nederland)

Led by Geothermie Nederland, EBN, and TNO with 23 parties in the geothermal sector, the Geo4all innovation program has been launched to provide a platform to consolidate geothermal research efforts.

TKI Nieuw Gas, the organization that oversees subsidy provision on behalf of the Energy top sector, recently agreed to the Geo4all project plan and has reserved a subsidy contribution of € 3.6 million to implement this innovation program over the next three years. The project partners themselves contribute an amount of € 2.7 million.

With now 15 years of practical experience in the geothermal sector in the Netherlands, the sector has now done many studies and gained plenty of knowledge. The Geo4all program will provide a joint approach to specific research themes, ensuring that in-depth improvements will be made on a number of areas.

The launch event for Geo4all was attended by more than 80 members and was held at the Energy Cave in Rijswijk, Netherlands. During the launch event, the four research themes under the Geo4 all program were presented:

• Shallow geothermal resources (500 to 1500 meters depth) for heating and with the use of closed systems;
• Extraction of geothermal heat in formations that were previously considered less suitable, including shallow layers and suboptimal reservoirs using new drilling and well completion techniques;
• Reservoir management techniques to optimize the extraction of heat, mitigate cooling, and study processes that could potentially lead to seismic risks; and
• Collection of operational data from above-ground facilities to facilitate the creation of digital twins, allowing for simulations to reduce downtime and lower maintenance and operational costs.

All the research themes ultimately contribute to improving the safety, reliability, cost effectiveness, and flexibility of geothermal energy.

“We view the Geo4all innovation program as an important building block for a larger strategic approach to innovation within the sector. This joint approach focuses on innovations to broaden the applicability of geothermal energy and make it available to companies and citizens in more places,” said Hans Bolscher, Chairman of Geothermie Nederland.

Source: Geothermie Nederland (1 and 2)