There will be a trial with a more precise measurement of the effects of geothermal heat generation in North Limburg. †
The trial will start in a few months. The results should be known in a year. It is not yet known where exactly the test will take place.
In the past, hot water was pumped up at two locations in the California horticultural area in Grubbenvorst to heat greenhouses. Until then, that was done with natural gas. But the project that was supposed to make energy use more sustainable was stopped because of the alleged high risk of earthquakes.
Also read: ‘Increased risk of earthquakes in North Limburg’
Unacceptable risks
The State Supervision of Mines (SodM) already warned about this in 2017 and found that the projects should never have been allowed. According to SSM, geothermal/terrestrial heat entails unacceptable risks in areas with natural faults. In North Limburg it concerns the Tegelen Fault. But according to deputy Maarten van Gaans (D66), the effects of pumping hot water for heating greenhouses have never been measured exactly. Not even by SodM.
Also read: Safety concerns: geothermal project shut down
Two sides
“The process is now at a standstill. But there is now a new method for measuring, calculating and thus mapping seismological risks much better. Limburg has registered for the trial,” says Van Gaans. According to the deputy, it can go both ways. Or the test shows that the risks are really too great. And then that is the end of the story for generating geothermal heat in North Limburg. Or it shows that the risks of vibrations are acceptable. And then geothermal energy would have great potential in making energy production more sustainable and could be applied much more widely.
The trial was also initiated at the insistence of the House of Representatives.