S-GeoHeat – Shallow-Geothermal sourced Low-Temperature District Heating

Decarbonisation requires the integration of renewable energy sources, particularly in the industrial and building sectors, as a significant proportion of CO2 emissions originate from these sectors. The use of geothermal energy as an alternative heat source, combined with feeding excess industrial waste heat into district heating networks, can make a concrete contribution to CO2 reduction in the building sector. Low-temperature district heating networks offer great potential for efficiently meeting the heating requirements of end users. While single energy sources are proven, the expansion to multiple sources still raises some research questions in terms of control and economics for all stakeholders involved. Optimising the integration of geothermal energy and industrial waste heat into such networks requires a holistic approach to ensure technical and economic feasibility.

The European project S-GeoHeat “Shallow-Geothermal sourced Low-Temperature District Heating” addresses this challenge by uniquely combining shallow geothermal sources and industrial waste heat with building refurbishment concepts on the demand side. In addition to the planning of a corresponding district heating network, the main activities focus on the development of building refurbishment strategies adapted to low-temperature heating networks. Intelligent control and blockchain-based performance measurements are intended to ensure demand-based, safe and transparent operation of the hot water system and the heat generation plant.

The district heating concept is based on two active geothermal sources in Havza and Hamamayagi in the Turkish region of Samsun and the utilisation of waste heat from a nearby cement plant (Akcansa). Building refurbishment concepts will be integrated into the refurbishment planning of an existing hotel in the Turkish city of Havza in the province of Samsun. Measurement data from a district heating network in Austria is used to validate the control models developed.