Preparations for geothermal drilling at Tiske, Estonia (source: Geological Survey of Estonia)The work was commissioned by the government and the Geological Survey of Estonia to look into the potential of geothermal energy in Estonia.
Just a few months prior, Steiger set the record for the drilling of the deepest geothermal well in Estonia. The 500-meter geothermal borehole for a test station in the Tiskre subdistrict in Tallinn was the first to reach Estonia’s crystalline basin. The team now seeks to replicate this Estonian record five times in a row at the Roosna-Alliku site.
The initiative of the Geological Survey of Estonia to investigate the utilization of geothermal resources in Estonia was first announced back in mid-2022. The research project was initially forecasted to run until 2024 with a budget of EUR 3.8 million.
Positive community reception
“There is no local resistance. Rather, people are curious and glad that our village has been selected for such a special project,” said Sille-Pudel, village elder Roosna-Alliku.
At a meeting with the construction company, local residents also expressed their hope that buildings that are currently not connected to the district heating network could join at a later date.
The price of geothermal heat is yet to be decided and will be determined by the local district heating service provider. However, the expectation is that it will be about half of the current district heating costs.
Project to provide valuable experience
There are no other boreholes that go as deep in Estonia, so the cost-effectiveness of the project remains to be seen. There is not much information from existing research as mentioned by Aivar Auväärt, head of the service’s geothermal energy department. For this reason, the project in Roosna-Alliku is certain to provide valuable experience.
“We should get 12-13 degrees from the earth, which will then be heated to 65 degrees using heat pumps,” explained Auväärt.
