Technical problems put Swiss geothermal project on ice

The Lavey-les-Bains geothermal plant is designed to power 900 homes in the region. © Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

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.

The site in Lavey-les-Bains in western Switzerland was earmarked as a renewable energy flagship project when work started to build the plant at the beginning of the year.

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.

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.

“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.

Other geothermal energy projects in Switzerland have been called into question after being blamed for generating earth tremors.

In Lavey-les-Bains, however, tests “did not record the slightest seismic activity stemming specifically from the operation within its vicinity.”