DGE-ROLLOUT - Roll-out of Deep Geothermal Energy in NWE


Project Summary

  

Our Video

Our Vision

The vision of our project is to foster the expansion of deep geothermal energy as a climate and environmentally friendly energy resource in North-West Europe, and subsequently nurture the region´s economics and the wellbeing of the citizens.

Our Mission

DGE-ROLLOUT facilitates the use of deep geothermal energy as climate friendly energy resource to reduce CO2 emissions and to protect the environment in North-West Europe.

Our Key Messages

  • DGE-ROLLOUT facilitates the use of natural and stored heat from the deep underground to reduce COemissions
  • DGE-ROLLOUT provides transparency of geothermal energy usage to the public
  • DGE-ROLLOUT supports new technologies for deep geothermal energy exploration and production
  • DGE-ROLLOUT provides information for stakeholders & investors of geothermal energy in North-West Europe
  • DGE-ROLLOUT explores and tests one of the most promising geothermal reservoirs in North-West Europe
  • DGE-ROLLOUT provides exploration and engineering support for deep geothermal energy usage

Summary

NWE has to reduce CO2 emission. One major source of CO2 is the production of electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels, which could be vastly replaced by using deep geothermal energy (DGE). However, the exploration of DGE in most NWE regions requires specific expertise and technologies in the complex geological situations (strongly faulted high permeable carbonates and coarse clastic rocks) that lie across the borders between Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

It is the objective of DGE-Rollout to produce energy and reduce COemissions by replacing fossil fuels through the increased usage of DGE in NWE for large-scale infrastructures requiring high-temperature heat supplies to cover their basic energy loads. This will be achieved by mapping and networking (WP 1), by the application of innovative decision, exploration strategies (WP 2) and testing for production optimization (WP 3).

WP 1. Mapping and Networking to prepare the market: Providing and harmonizing the knowledge baseline of DGE to develop the market in NWE - including DGE resource potential, the market/investor correlation and the current legal frameworks. Obtaining an overall view through an online map application merging the baseline sources to identify regional investment hotspots according to investor profiles. DGE Network will be established to share experiences and build new interactions.

WP 2. Decision and exploration support: Create the basis for decisions to invest in DGE infrastructure and exploration strategies that are compared to the current methods cheaper, risks diminishing, more reliable by better finding the right spot to drill. Improvement of the DGE resource potential map. Development of an advanced exploration toolbox, decision flow chart for exploration, decision support chart and a standardized decision workflow check list, aiming to de-risk DGE projects in NWE.

WP 3. Testing for production optimization: Demonstration of innovative techniques under real-live conditions at two sites to develop and improve further production optimization (e.g. high temperature heat pumps) to use DGE more effective for enterprises in different branches (energy and heat suppliers, industrial and agricultural enterprises) for an immediate CO2 reduction. Developing of an implementation plan for the future transition of large, today fossil fuelled power plants to DGE in a case study.

 

In two pilots (Balmatt, BE; Bochum, DE) production optimization will be tested by implementing high-temperature heat pumps and new cascading schemes from high (>100°C, big network) to low tempatures (>50°C, single enterprise) and to gain a CO2 reduction of 25 000 t/a. By realising further plants in NWE this will reach up to 160 000 t/a until 2022. It is estimated that 10 years after the project’s end, at least 1 600 000 t/a reduction will have been achieved. In the long term, it is expected to reach up to 7 000 000 t/a.

Further activities will apply innovative decision and exploration strategies that cost less, reduce risks, are more reliable and will show a 3D Atlas of the complex geological situation as the spatial basis usable for DGE. To set the stage for increased public acceptance of DGE, tools, planning and legal conditions need to be evaluated and business models for enterprises undertaken. A network/cluster “NWE-DGE” will be set up to sustain the outputs and investments in the long term roll-out after the end of the project.

Outputs

De-risking DGE projects for enterprises by providing a DGE potential map with optimal geological information

Providing DGE for district heating at TRUDI and Balmatt pilot plants

Developing of a DGE Exploration Support Toolbox and economic and environmental evaluation support schemes

Improving production processes at pilot site Balmatt

Installing an improved heat pump system at TRUDI pilot site

Implementing a process to cascade energy at pilot sites TRUDI and Balmatt

Implementing a process to store thermal energy from DGE site TRUDI

Adapting thermal energy storage processes for demand and supply balancing

Project Partners

Lead partner

Organisation Address Email Website
Geological Survey of NRW 195 De-Greiff-Straße
Krefeld
47803
Germany
tobias.fritschle@gd.nrw.de www.gd.nrw.de
Name Contact Name Email Country
DMT GmbH & Co. KG Boris Dombrowski boris.dombrowski@dmt-group.com Germany
EBN B.V. Timme van Melle timme.melle-van@ebn.nl Netherlands
Flemish Institute for Technological Research Matsen Broothaers matsen.broothaers@vito.be Belgium
Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructure and Geothermal Energy (IEG) Frank Strozyk frank.strozyk@ieg.fraunhofer.de Germany
French geological survey Chrystel Dezayes c.dezayes@brgm.fr France
Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences Estelle Petitclerc epetitclerc@naturalsciences.be Belgium
RWE Power AG Thomas Oswald thomas.oswald@rwe.com Germany
Technische Universität Darmstadt Jeroen van der Vaart jeroen.vaart@tu-darmstadt.de Germany
The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research Holger Cremer holger.cremer@tno.nl Netherlands

News


GEOCOND2022

Posted on

Within the framework of the DGE-ROLLOUT project https://www.nweurope.eu/.../dge-rollout-roll-out-of-deep.../ financed by the ERDF and the Walloon Region, the Geological Survey of Belgium/ Service Géologique de Belgique is carrying out a geophysical prospection campaign named GEOCOND2022 in December, in order to determine the presence of rocks favorable for the development of deep geothermal energy. Read More

Geothermal Energy in the Walloon Region

Posted on

On October 3rd, VITO, the Geological Survey of Belgium, the University of Liège, Deplasse, Geo-Green, and the SPW organized a day dedicated to geothermal energy in the Walloon region. The objective is to raise awareness and demonstrate how geothermal energy, whether shallow or deep, represents an important lever to decarbonize the region. The event was, among other things, an opportunity to present the ambitions of the Walloon region for geothermal energy and to give an overview of the regulations in force in this field. Furthermore, the results and tools developed in the framework of the project to determine the potential of shallow geothermal energy in Wallonia and the DGE-ROLLOUT project for deep geothermal energy were presented. The Geological Survey of Belgium provides information on the upcoming seismic campaign of the DGE-ROLLOUT project. Read More


 

Subpartners

 

SP GeoThermal Engineering GmbH (GeoT)

GeoT is providing the industry point of view to the development of the advanced exploration toolbox and the decision support chart and the standardized decision workflow check-list. In 2022 Geo-T became Vulcan Energy Subsurface Solutions.

SP Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB)

Sediment- and isotope geology at the RUB specifically contributes with comprehensive expertise in rock-water interactions and geochemical tracers of subsurface fluid flow, quantification of dissolution-precipitation parameters of authigenic minerals in the subsurface related to the circulation of hydrothermal fluids, and characterization of three-dimensional carbonate bodies in the subsurface and their spatial distribution of porosity and permeability patterns including fracture systems.

 

Associated  Partners

 

AP British Geological Survey

British Geological Survey contributes to knowledge exchange on subsurface characterization and DGE resource assessment in deep carbonate formations as well as on scientific monitoring and observation of deep geological environments.

AP Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum (German Mining Museum Bochum)

The Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum was founded in 1930. Over the last 80 years, it has grown into the biggest mining museum in the world comprising around 8,000 m² of exhibition space and a 2.5 km long visitor mine. The research and exhibitions demonstrate the connections between the extraction and processing of georessources, and social and cultural developments. 

AP Deutsche Erdwärme GmbH & co KG

Deutsche Erdwärme GmbH & co KG is a key project developer in the Upper Rhine Graben. The associated partner is providing the point of view of a project developer to the applicability of the decision support chart and the standardized decision workflow check-list 

AP Durham University

Durham University will act as a reviewer of DGE-ROLLOUT. Further Jon Gluyas of Durham University - an expert in the fluid transmissivity, permeability, and porosity of ancient buried rock formations (reservoirs) including that of karst (cave) systems - will support the project with insider views and knowledge of geology and geothermal in the UK and IE.

AP European Geothermal Energy Council

EGEC is an expert in networking and strategic consulting and will contribute their knowledge and experiences to the DGE-Rollout project by attending meetings and supporting with advice by the activities market evaluation and network expansion because it has a large number of high-level contacts in the industry that could help roll out geothermal energy in NWE region. EGEC acts as a reviewer of DGE-ROLLOUT and supports the DGE-Rollout project with insider views and knowledge of the European geothermal energy sector. 

AP Geological Survey Ireland (GSI)

The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment of the Geological Survey Ireland interacts with project partners on DGE potential mapping and characterization in deep carbonate rocks, and reservoir characteristics of deep karst, as developed through parallel European and National projects. GSI will support their Irish, transregional, and national networks with outputs and outcomes of DGE-ROLLOUT. 

AP unique Wärme GmbH & Co. KG

Unique is a common public service provider founded by the Stadtwerke Bochum and the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Starting in 2018 unique will provide heat and electricity for the southern part of Bochum via combined heat and power generation to replace the existing energy provision and save 26.000 t CO2 emissions per year.

AP University of Lille

The University of Lille occupies a strategic position at the heart of Northern Europe. It boasts an outstanding cultural and scientific heritage that is etched into the Hauts-de-France Region’s history and has established itself as a key player in the region for training, research and innovation, and commitment to social issues. The University of Lille will bring its great knowledge of the geology of the Hauts de France area. 

 

 

Documents

 

 

 

Reports

 

Mid-Term-Report: DGE-ROLLOUT Roll-out of Deep Geothermal Energy in NWE

 

Report on Financial Risk Management for Geothermal Projects

 

Report on current legal frameworks of DGE regulations for all partner countries

 

Report on Investor Profiling

 

Report on Economic and environmental assessment of deep geothermal energy projects 

 

DGE communication strategy Focus: North-West Europe

 

Paper 

 

Arndt, M.; Fritschle, T.; Salamon, M.; Thiel, A.,2020

Das Rhenoherzynische Becken – ein hydrothermales Reservoir für NRW und Nordwesteuropa?

scriptumonline, 16, Krefeld

 

Formhals et al.,2020

A Modelica Toolbox for the Simulation of Borehole Thermal Energy Storage Systems

Journal: Energies

 

Fritschle et al.,2020

Exploring the Deep Geothermal Energy Potential at Weisweiler, Germany: 3D-Modelling of Subsurface Mid-Palaeozoic Carbonate Reservoir Rocks

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, 16953

 

Matthis Frey, Sebastian Weinert, Kristian Bär, Jeroen van der Vaart, Chrystel Dezayes, Philippe Calcagno, Ingo Sass et al., 2021

Integrated 3D geological modelling of the northern Upper Rhine Graben by joint inversion of gravimetry and magnetic data

Tectonophysics, Volume 813, 20 August 2021, 228927

 

Julian Formhals et al. , 2021

Strategies for a transition towards a solar district heating grid with integrated seasonal geothermal energy storage

Energy, Volumen 228, 1 August 2021, 120662

 

Claire Bossenne et al., 2021

Multiscale Characterisation of Fracture Patterns of a Crystalline Reservoir Analogue

Geosciences 2021, 11, 371

 

Fritschle et al., 2021

ACCEPTED: DGE-ROLLOUT: Promoting Deep Geothermal Energy in North-West Europe

Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2020+1, Reykjavik, Iceland

 

Ed.: Martin Arndt; Martin Salamon, 2021

DGE-ROLLOUT: Deep Geothermal Energy Potential of Carboniferous Carbonate Rocks in NW Europe

Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften Band 172 Heft 3 (2021), p. 205ff

 

Claire Bossennec et al.

Structural Architecture and Permeability Patterns of Crystalline Reservoir Rocks in the Northern Upper Rhine Graben: Insights from Surface Analogues of the Odenwald

Energies 2022, 15(4), 1310

 

Thomas Oswald et al., 2021

Exploration of the Potential for Deep Geothermal Energy at the Weisweiler Power Plant Site of RWE Power AG 

Modern Environmental Science and Engineering, Volume 7, No. 6, pp. 581-587, Doi:10.15341/mese(2333-2581)/06.07.2021/007 

 

Matthis Frey et al., 2022

Interdisciplinary fracture network characterization in the crystalline basement: a case study from the Southern Odenwald, SW Germany

Solid Earth, 13, 935–955

 

Lukas Seib et al, 2022

Finite element simulation of permeable fault influence on a medium deep borehole thermal energy storage system

Geothermal Energy volume 10, Article number: 15 (2022)

 

Matthis Frey et al., 2022

Assessment of deep geothermal research and development in the Upper Rhine Graben

Geothermal Energy volume 10, Article number: 18 (2022) 

 

Matthis Frey et al., 2022

Techno-Economic Assessment of Geothermal Resources in the Variscan Basement of the Northern Upper Rhine Graben

Natural Resources Research (2022)

 

Matthis Frey et al., 2023

Mapping Buried Fault Zones in a Granitic Pluton Using Aeromagnetic Data

Pure and Applied Geophysics (2023)

Share this

Tweet Share