The development of deep geothermal energy in the Netherlands has seen a rapid growth over the last decade and continues to expand. These systems typically produce warm saline brine at a temperature ranging from 50 to 90 degrees Celsius, from doublets targeting sandstone reservoirs at depths ranging between 1500 to 2500 m. The extracted heat is directly distributed to nearby customers (greenhouse complexes and urban district heating networks).
As 2023 came to a close, there were 27 implemented projects doublets with a total of 39 doublets. Several additional doublets are being drilled and commissioned in 2024 and the maturation pipeline holds multiple upcoming projects.
There are many factors enabling the successful growth of the Dutch geothermal energy sector. One of these is the existence of large amounts of data that is readily available to the public. This is not limited to subsurface data (which itself is remarkable both in terms of volume and quality), but also applies to performance data from existing assets.
The attached animation is an example of how this public data can be used to visualise the development and performance of various geothermal assets accessing the same resource – namely the Permian Slochteren Formation (Rotliegend Group).
PanTerra Geoconsultants have been active in the geothermal sector since 2008 and have contributed to the large majority of Dutch geothermal projects. For more information, please get in touch with @Marcel Zwaan and @Jerome Amory to discuss how can we support the maturation of your geothermal opportunities.