Technical problems put Swiss geothermal project on ice
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?
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
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.