Deep boreholes for geoenergy
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Rototec AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 335 735 |
| Project duration | November 2019 - May 2020 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Challenge-Driven Innovation – Stage 1 initiation |
| Call | Challenge-driven innovation - step 1 initiation 2019 (autumn) |
Important results from the project
The purpose has been to analyze what possible paths one can take to develop commercially viable solutions for drilling significantly deeper than today´s (economic) maximum of about 500 meters and to sketch suitable heat exchanger solutions for those depths. Although our initial assumptions were slightly modified during the course of the project, we believe that the project has succeeded in defining promising routes to take in order to achieve the goal, to be able to drill considerably deeper than today, down to 800 meters.
Expected long term effects
The main results of the project are that we have defined promising methods for enabling commercially viable drilling for geoenergy to depths of between 600 and 800 meters and defined a collector solution that will efficiently transport heat energy to and from the boreholes. We expect the impact of this work to provide a solid foundation for developing prototypes and commercial products as well as we expect that many actors in the industry will want to support, and participate in, that process.
Approach and implementation
The players who have been part of this project all have a long and deep experience of the various sub-areas of the project. The various parts of the project all had a clear owner and main responsible. We had planned to have joint workshops to share thoughts and ideas with each other, but the Covid-19 pandemic came in between. Not only did it stop physical meetings, but it also led to an increased workload on the participants, who all have key roles in their respective companies. Nevertheless, due to the specialist expertise in various parts, the result has been satisfactory.