Deep geothermal energy is gaining new support from the energy sector
AEW Energie AG has acquired a stake in Geo-Energie Jura SA, thereby bolstering the deep geothermal pilot project in the Haute-Sorne region of the Jura. With this investment, it joins the existing anchor shareholders EBL, ewb and ewz, as well as the participating company Geo-Energie Suisse.
AEW Energie AG has become a new shareholder in Geo-Energie Jura SA and, according to a press release, joins the anchor shareholders Genossenschaft Elektra Baselland (EBL), Energie Wasser Bern (ewb), Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich (ewz) and Geo-Energie Suisse. Geo-Energie Jura SA is planning a geothermal power plant in the municipality of Haute-Sorne, which will be fed by two boreholes approximately 5,000 metres deep.
The aim of this flagship project is to connect to the grid in 2029 with an electrical output of up to 5 megawatts and to demonstrate the feasibility of deep geothermal energy use in Switzerland.
According to the press release, AEW is considering using deep geothermal energy as a climate-neutral source of electricity in its own supply area in the canton of Aargau in future. In line with this, the Aargau government has decided to create favourable conditions for the use of deep geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy is also set to play a major role at federal level in future, as AEW reports. In its Energy Outlook 2050, the federal government plans for geothermal electricity generation of 2 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year. Deep geothermal energy, as a baseload energy source, can help bridge the winter electricity gap. With regard to heating, the industry estimates the potential at around 17 TWh per year, which corresponds to a quarter of Switzerland’s total heating demand.