At the Hartogsweg in IJsselmuiden, preparations for the new drilling location are in full swing. This location is directly adjacent to the current 'mining location' that provides growers in the greenhouse horticultural area with geothermal heat. Last year a production record was achieved in the Koekoekspolder. Preparatory work should be completed by March this year so that the drilling rig can arrive in April 2022.
According to project leader Radboud Vorage, since the Ministry of Economic Affairs issued the necessary permit, everything has been running smoothly. The experienced German company Drilltec will be responsible for the final deep drilling of well KKP-GT-03. The drilling will take about 6-8 weeks. During this period, there will be some extra transport movements and also some noise pollution. The drilling will take place in both day and night shifts.
Recent applications
The horticultural companies in the area are eager for sustainable and affordable heat. In the last few months of the energy crisis, the geothermal heat company has received various requests from horticulturalists who also want to be connected to the geothermal heat source. It mainly concerns organic companies that want to provide their crops with sustainable heat. In 2022 a study will be carried out into how these companies can be connected.
Delay
Vorage therefore finds it regrettable that the Ministry took so long to come to the final approval of the deep well, especially since geothermal heat has already been extracted in the area for 10 years without any significant inconvenience to the surroundings or the environment. The new well will supply 5-6 MegaWatt of thermal energy annually, which could lead to a saving of 4-5 million cubic meters of natural gas.
If this capacity had been ready one year earlier, the horticultural companies could already be reaping the benefits. That would have been good for the climate (less CO2 emissions), but also for the companies and employment in the area. Nevertheless, it is good that a start can be made on expanding the use of geothermal heat in the Koekoekspolder, says the project leader.
Due to the increasing demand for sustainable heat in the Koekoekspolder horticultural area, it was possible to deliver a record amount of geothermal heat in 2021. In the end, almost 180,000 GigaJoule (GJ) of sustainable heat was delivered.
Source: Greenhouse Geopower