A Swiss geothermal energy project, designed to generate electricity for 900 homes and heat thermal baths, has been suspended because it doesn't have enough hot water to pump.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Español
es
Un proyecto geotérmico suizo queda paralizado por problemas técnicos
But the project has been suspended amid technical troubles in getting enough water into the 2,956 metre deep bore hole.
“Contrary to expectations the drilling operation has not produced a sufficiently powerful water flowrate to generate electricity,” the project organisers said on MondayExternal link.
More
More
Can deep geothermal projects help secure Swiss energy independence?
This content was published on
The climate crisis and the war in Ukraine have underlined the need to develop renewable energy sources like geothermal.
The project’s goal is to harness water that is heated to at least 110 degrees Celsius, with an ideal flowrate of 40 litres a second, to generate electricity. Deep underground the boiling point of water is higher than at ground level due to greater pressures.
It has been sited to tap into naturally occurring hot springs to create renewable energy.
But despite the setback, the company that runs the project, Alpine Geothermal Power Production (AGEPP), refused to concede defeat. It will conduct analysis to get to the root of the problem.
More
More
Heat from the ground, it’s there for the taking
This content was published on
In April, Lyesse Laloui, head of the Laboratory of Soil Mechanics at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) will host a meeting of world specialists in “energy geostructures” for a workshop that has the support of the American National Science Foundation. EPFL were the first to test in real conditions the behaviour of heat…
“All is not lost, because the temperature at the bottom of the borehole is good,” said AGEPP boss Jean-François Pilet. “We have proven that it is possible to dig 3,000 meters deep in an alpine massif of very hard rock. This is positive for further drilling.”
The technical issues at Lavey-les-Bains comes as Switzerland prepares itself for gas shortages this winter and is actively looking for ways to increase the share of renewable energy production.
In Lavey-les-Bains, however, tests “did not record the slightest seismic activity stemming specifically from the operation within its vicinity.”
More
More
Switzerland braces for winter energy crunch
This content was published on
Explainer: why is there a risk of an energy shortage this winter? What is Switzerland doing to reduce gas and electricity consumption?
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Swiss firm ABB to electrify one of the largest oil and gas terminals
This content was published on
ABB has won a major contract in Azerbaijan for the electrification and grid stability of one of the world's largest oil and gas terminals, Sangachal.
Swiss railways’ ‘invisible disabilities’ lanyards prove popular
This content was published on
According to the Swiss Federal Railways, there is great interest in its lanyards for travellers with invisible disabilities.
This content was published on
A prisoner who escaped on Thursday in Baden, canton Aargau, is still on the run. The 23-year-old Albanian, who was in custody for burglary, was wearing handcuffs when he escaped.
Swiss city places information boards next to Nazi memorial
This content was published on
The city of Chur in eastern Switzerland has erected four information boards next to the Nazi memorial in the Daleu cemetery.
Swiss heat: parallels drawn with 2003 ‘summer of century’
This content was published on
Looking at the current weather situation in Switzerland, the private weather service MeteoNews has drawn parallels with the hot summer of 2003.
Syria: Switzerland calls for ceasefire to be respected in Suweida
This content was published on
Switzerland has condemned the attacks on civilians in the southern Syrian town of Suweida and has called on all parties to respect the ceasefire in the Druze stronghold.
Swiss reinforce ground-air defence with German systems
This content was published on
Switzerland has purchased five IRIS-T SLM systems for ground-based air defence from Germany, the Federal Office for Defence Procurement (armasuisse) said on Monday.
This content was published on
Individual deer are continuing to return to the Rosenberg cemetery in Winterthur, northeastern Switzerland, even after an eviction campaign last winter.
Hardly any interest earned on savings accounts in Switzerland
This content was published on
Interest rates on savings accounts in Switzerland have fallen significantly. The brief high in savings interest rates is over, according to a study by online comparison service Moneyland.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Geothermal sector faces heat of public scrutiny
This content was published on
But supporters insisted there is no chance of the promising alternative energy source dying a death in Switzerland despite the Basel experiment ending in earthquake damage and a criminal court case. The Deep Heat Mining project in Basel was officially abandoned last month after triggering earth tremors that caused SFr9 million ($8.7 million) in damage…
This content was published on
Fredy Brunner, the member of the city council responsible for technical operations, announced the decision on Tuesday, having informed Swiss Energy Minister Doris Leuthard the previous day. The decision was taken after consultations with various experts, he said. The borehole has been stabilised and pipes have again been inserted to a depth of 4,000 metres.…
This content was published on
Despite the failure of the ambitious Deep Heat Mining project in Basel, which was put on hold in 2007 after drilling work triggered a series of small earthquakes, several other Swiss cantons have declared an interest in geothermal power. The SFr200 million ($173 million) Geneva project, initiated by the local power company Services Industriels de…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.