Abstract
The huge energy potential of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) makes them perspective sources of non-intermittent renewable energy for the future. This paper focuses on potential scenarios of EGS development in a locally and in regard to geothermal exploration, poorly known geological setting—the Variscan fold-and-thrust belt —for district heating and cooling of the Göttingen University campus. On average, the considered single EGS doublet might cover about 20% of the heat demand and 6% of the cooling demand of the campus. The levelized cost of heat (LCOH), net present value (NPV) and CO2 abatement cost were evaluated with the help of a spreadsheet-based model. As a result, the majority of scenarios of the reference case are currently not profitable. Based on the analysis, EGS heat output should be at least 11 MWth (with the brine flow rate being 40 l/s and wellhead temperature being 140 °C) for a potentially profitable project. These parameters can be a target for subsurface investigation, reservoir modeling and hydraulic stimulation at a later stage. However, sensitivity analysis presented some conditions that yield better results. Among the most influential parameters on the outcome are subsidies for research wells, proximity to the campus, temperature drawdown and drilling costs. If realized, the EGS project in Göttingen might save up to 18,100 t CO2 (34%) annually.
Highlights
According to the report by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) [1], the share of geothermal energy in renewable-based electricity generation in Germany in 2019 was just 0.1%
This paper focuses on potential scenarios of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) development in a locally and in regard to geothermal exploration, poorly known geological setting—the Variscan fold-and-thrust belt —for district heating and cooling of the Göttingen
The levelized cost of heat (LCOH), net present value (NPV) and CO2 abatement cost were evaluated with the help of a spreadsheet-based model
Summary
According to the report by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) [1], the share of geothermal energy in renewable-based electricity generation in Germany in 2019 was just 0.1%. In the best-case scenario, the Göttingen demo site can become a real laboratory for exploring and expanding the knowledge about EGS in Variscan fold-and-thrust belt and serving as a representative case study for other places with similar geotectonic settings in Europe. The geological setting in Göttingen and its vicinity is quite poorly investigated since there are only a few exploration wells with a maximum depth of 1500 m in the surrounding area. This indicates that the exploration of geothermal energy potential in Göttingen is currently at a very early stage. Some progress was made in 2015 when a seismic campaign with two profiles crossing the campus area at an exploration depth of 1500 m validated that the upper several thousand meters of the subsurface of Göttingen are built up of three main units [44]:
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