Innovative applications/integration of geothermal heating and cooling in industry

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• High integration of geothermal heating and/or cooling in different industry sectors with operation flexibility considering start-up time and ramp-up rate, and maximum cascaded use of thermal energy.
• Increased industry, region, city and citizen trust and acceptability for geothermal energy.

Scope:

Based on geothermal energy, the following is expected to be achieved: explore new heating and/or cooling concepts for industrial sectors which have to decarbonise their production lines using renewable systems. enable the smart use of thermal grids with emphasis on flexible supply of resources, adapted to different source temperatures and varying demand; and position geothermal utilisation (including underground storage) as a crucial pillar for the (heat and/or cold) transition of industrial energy systems. Projects should consider the application of cascading residual geothermal waste heat to neighbouring industries or the built environment and should include the integration of geothermal and heat pump systems, energy piles, or energy sheet pile walls, consider the use of alternative cycle working media.

Activities related to geothermal heat for industry and agriculture, underground thermal energy storage (UTES) including high-temperature storage, innovative and multiple uses for geothermal energy and side-products, balneological systems, and design and operation of geothermal doublets can be considered.

Activities are required to assess the environmental sustainability of geothermal heating and/or cooling applications. The applied technologies should not significantly harm the environment (Do No Significant Harm principle). It must be ensured that negative impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity, including negative impacts on (or pollution affecting) air, water or soil quality, are addressed through mitigation policies.