Assessment of Seasonal Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage as a Groundwater Ecosystem Service for the Brussels-Capital Region: Combining Groundwater Flow, and Heat and Reactive Transport Modeling

Abstract

Seasonal aquifer thermal energy storage and recovery (ATES) help urbanized areas to contribute to their energy demands. We assess the potential of ATES in the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium with groundwater flow, heat and reactive transport models. Situated in the phreatic Brussels Sand aquifer, they indicate that ATES systems are unfeasible for hydraulic conductivities of 4.2e-6 ms-1. At low groundwater flow velocities however, ATES are feasible for hydraulic conductivities of 1.4e-4 ms-1. Iron(hydr)oxide precipitation during ATES operation is investigated with reactive transport models. To avoid well clogging groundwater should be pumped only from above or below the aquifers redox boundary.