Drilling has officially commenced for the geothermal heating project in the grounds of the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands. A spud event was held at the site on the 21st of June in the presence of more than 200 guests, and the actual drilling work followed after a few days on the 26th of June.
The 20-meter-high drilling rig will be drilling vertically for about one kilometer before deviating for an additional 500 meters. Two holes are planned for the project. A conductor casing had already been previously installed in the well.
A special moment during the spud event was the placement of the Saint Barbara statuette, a symbol of protection for the drilling project. Those present then sang the traditional miners’ song “Glück Auf” together to wish the project and everyone involved good luck. After the ceremony, there was an opportunity to for the guests to network.
The consortium partners for the Geothermie Delft project include Shell Geothermal, Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN), TU Delft, and Aardyn. Aside from providing a source of renewable heat for the university and the districts, the geothermal project will serve as a research facility to gather data and generate more accurate simulations, thus reducing the risk for future geothermal projects.
Supplying heat to TU Delft is not complicated, but heating the Buitenhof and Voorhof districts will require a decision-making process and the involvement of several parties. More information on whether geothermal district heating should be available by next autumn.
