Shallow and Deep Geothermal Energy

Our services include, but are not limited to:

Shallow geothermal energy for heating/cooling purposes:

The use of heat pumps for residential heating and cooling has gained steam over the last two decades. Thermal use of aquifers must be sustainable. On the one hand, ground water levels and aquifer temperature must be maintained over time. On the other hand, pumping of groundwater can not impact on its quality, which has to be preserved. Numerical modelling allows us (1) to evaluate the present state of the geothermal reservoir, what is crucial to the design of the heat probes, and (2) to forecast the impacts of pumping on aquifer sustainability.

Deep geothermal energy for electricity production and district heating: 

The Earth is an immense heat reservoir that is continuously regenerated due to the natural decay of radioactive elements. The applicability of numerical models in the field of geothermal energy is large. Models can be used to evaluate: (1) the benefit of a geothermal power plant both from the physical and the economical point of view, (2) the inherent seismic risk associated with geothermal activities, (3) the optimum design and stability of geothermal wells, etc. Numerical models of the geothermal reservoir are absolutelly necessary to evaluate operational conditions, what defines the design of the most appropiate type of power plant.

Cost estimation of deep geothermal projects: 

One of the main handicaps of deep geothermal energy nowadays is the high associated cost, what oftens poses a barrier to the development of geothermal projects. A pre-study about project viability is often carried out. This study must account for specific and generic (e.g., from similar projects) data and address first the success probability of the project. If this probability is high, a cost evaluation must be carried out. Numerical modelling is a crucial tool in these tasks.