A growing number of municipalities in the Netherlands are seeking geothermal energy from other sources of energy and the demand for clean heat.
With the expansion of wind farms and solar farms, many municipalities in the Netherlands are exploring geothermal energy opportunities. There are still many questions about this enduring source. It is not clear how much heat can be generated and whether projects are real. And not everyone is happy about this, so Gemeente.nu.
The Hague, Utrecht and Zul, but also Piginaker-Notodor, New York and Westland. These are just a few of the many municipalities that have focused on geothermal energy. Groundwater or geothermal energy is increasing. According to the geothermal Netherlands, there are about 20 places in our country where the heat is coming from the deepest part of the country, and this number is growing rapidly. Dozens of projects are under way in Brabant, Geldderland, Groningen and North Holland, among others.
The first challenges for geothermal heating needs
A.D. In 2012, Hague was a municipal pioneer in geothermal energy. The country’s first geothermal heating plant opened that year to provide permanent heating for thousands of homes. However, after years of delays due to technical and financial problems, the green light will only be available for proper use in homes in 2019. This course shows the initial problems surrounding geothermal energy.
Nevertheless, enthusiasm among municipalities is growing rapidly. By the end of this year, every municipality must have a vision for heat transfer. Geothermal energy can play a significant role in the natural gas-free heating of homes and buildings, as agreed in the Climate Agreement.
Drilling in test sites
Many experimental projects in the natural gas-free settlement program also focus on largely untested technology. For example, Pijanacer-Notdorp plans to free homes from natural gas during the redevelopment of Klaipwig through a geothermal heat source in Trias Westland. In early July, 345 homes in De Lier (Westland Municipality) were connected to this source, which was originally built for the local greenhouse. Zulle wants to use soil heat in a municipal experiment.
Geothermal energy ‘exploration’ or technical search has been criticized. The Minerals Regulatory Authority (SODM) stressed that the security culture in geothermal companies is weak and that geothermal energy production itself is still dangerous. In June, the Audit Court ruled that the central government was not providing adequate drinking water from the threat of geothermal drilling. Water flowing from geothermal pipes can contaminate drinking water layers. Laws must protect this in the form of a drinking water ladder.
It is not yet clear what the potential of geothermal energy is, especially as a “future energy source.” Much research, including excavations, is needed to gain an accurate understanding of the depth of the strategy and the temperature inside. Groundwater flow is also suitable for geothermal heating. These factors determine how much heat can be released and projects are realistic.
A frustrating product
For example, after 6.6 to 3.3 megawatts of sustainable geothermal research, Zulu had to halve expectations. However, earlier this year, Ovrejesel Municipality received a European grant for exploration in Zoul-Nord. The purpose of the subsidy is to even use new innovative drilling techniques for small wells. With this technology, the production of geothermal heat from thinner earth layers can be doubled, making smaller geothermal sources more profitable.
Experimental drilling will begin in mid-2022. If this succeeds, the city will want to connect Holtenburn with the geothermal network. Agreements have already been reached with potential buyers, including two Zoole housing corporations and several educational institutions. The project could then be expanded to other districts. According to Alderman Monique ut Ttenbell, the stop point is for 3,800 homes that will be converted to geothermal energy. For small numbers, the technical cargo construction cannot be calculated according to Alderman.
Utrecht promising
Utrecht, the first research project to be funded by the government-funded SCAN program (the letters will stop the “geothermal heat earthquake campaign” in the Netherlands). The area to the east of the city seems to be the most suitable, since there are four layers of earth running in large sections in the central Netherlands. Therefore, excavations near Utrecht could provide valuable information for other parts of the country. Geothermal excavation requires a lot of preparation – the head of the excavation can only be excavated in 2023. The product can take up to a year between digging, measuring and testing at a depth of three kilometers.
In a letter from the council in late May, Utrecht College wrote about high hopes. Geothermal energy is the most important source of energy to make existing circuit heating more sustainable. The municipality has been investigating this since 2016. The district is also involved, but at the forefront is Warmtebron Utrecht, a network of educational institutions and energy companies. Twenty places have already been tested for geothermal energy (five to seven kilometers), seven in Utrecht and two in nearby New York. Two places in Regenberg and one in New York seem to be the most suitable.
Involve residents
In New York, however, there was widespread criticism from residents that the search area was inadequate. Once the right site choice for SCAN excavation is known, the Utrecht participation process begins. The construction of an excavation farm requires a lot of construction traffic and noise, and the noise is limited during operation. According to the municipality, it is important to involve as many residents as possible in this development.
Source – Gemento
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