Of particular interest is a prospect in the commune of Dudelange in the southern end of Luxembourg. Turmes is currently working with the “Fonds du logement” to drill a hole with a depth of more 1000 meters. “If that works, we can heat the entire neighborhood with warm water from the ground, CO?-free,” said Turmes.
Despite the acceleration in geothermal development in neighboring countries Germany and Switzerland, the technology is only now finding its way to Luxembourg. According to Turmes, there was no strategy for geothermal energy before the current governments National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC). With the PNEC now placing more focus and importance on geothermal energy, the Minister of Energy is optimistic that the introduction of the technology can be accelerated.
According to Pit Losch from the Directorate for Renewable Energy, temperatures of 40 to 70 degrees Celsius are expected from deeper geothermal resources. This can be channeled into a heating network without using a heat pump. The geological conditions are particularly promising for deep geothermal in the south of the country.
In the Ösling, on the other hand, you wouldn’t find much of interest even at a depth of two kilometers,” said Losch.
Local developers stepping up for shallow geothermal
Currently, thousands of households in Luxembourg are already being heated by shallow geothermal sources aided by heat pumps. These wells have mostly been drilled by foreign companies.
More recently, a company called “Yes Geo Services” presented a geothermal heating project in the Op Zämer business park in Bascharage to the Energy Minister and Käerjenger Mayor Michel Wolter. According to Turmes, this is the first large local company that is offering professional services for large-scale geothermal well drilling.
The company is now drilling four holes each at 140 meters depth on its own premises. This will allow the building to be heated entirely with geothermal energy. Electricity will then be supplied by photovoltaic systems.
