Brunel University London is to lead a new European research project, starting this October, aimed at improving how geothermal heat is harnessed for industrial applications.
The European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme is funding the €3 million GEOFLEXheat project that will see a consortium of 12 research institutions, businesses and industry experts from across the continent tackle the challenges of geothermal systems’ scalability, integration and social acceptance.
Geothermal energy – stored in the form of heat beneath the ground and the sea bed – is the most underutilised energy source on the planet. It’s the only sustainable energy source available every minute of every day. But it makes up just 0.5% of the renewable energy market worldwide, and most of the countries with the biggest geothermal sectors are outside Europe.
“Part of the difficulty is that as a low-temperature heat source, geothermal energy is inefficient at producing electric energy,” explained Prof Hussam Jouhara, the Brunel engineering expert who will be GEOFLEXheat’s project coordinator. “However, if the heat energy can be used directly, rather than being converted to electricity, the efficiency would be close to 100%, regardless of temperature level.”
That’s where Prof Jouhara’s expertise comes in. He’s the leader of Brunel’s Heat Pipe and Thermal Management Research Group, and has revolutionised many sectors by developing novel heat-pipe-based technologies and heat exchangers through his collaboration with industry and while being the technical lead of the Horizon 2020 projects Etekina and iWays. These have helped factories and power plants maximise the potential of heat that would otherwise be lost, thus making them more energy-efficient and reducing emissions.
The GEOFLEXheat consortium will focus on geothermal brine: abundant warm waters underground that in some places, such as Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon, bubble up to the Earth’s surface, rich with salts and minerals.
GEOFLEXheat will develop a system that combines a heat pipe heat exchanger with an innovative scaling reduction system, a high-temperature heat pump and a thermal energy storage. When used together, these components will exploit the waste heat from a geothermal brine power plant; collect the otherwise corrosive salts and minerals into a valuable resource; and create a range of upgraded, cost-effective and consistent water temperatures, up to a 110°C steam, that will deliver what’s needed for industrial applications and for district hot water.
The project will also deliver a state-of-the-art control strategy and digital twin: a virtual model that’s updated from sensors studded throughout the system, enabling real-time management and optimisation of geothermal plants.
“In this project, we will develop a strategy to demonstrate the potential range of applications of the GEOFLEXheat solution to various industrial areas near active geothermal wells,” said Prof Jouhara. “Because it’s currently a smaller sector, geothermal energy is less well understood and appreciated than the likes of solar or biomass. So, our strategy will be composed of an approach to the acceptance of geothermal heat extraction, demonstrating the safety and the technical and economical assessment of the selected locations in Iceland and Italy.
“Overall, the project will showcase the full potential of geothermal energy to provide stable, affordable and sustainable heat supply.”
Starting on 1 October 2024, GEOFLEXheat will run for 3 years, and is the first project that is coordinated by Brunel University London under the Horizon Europe programme. To ensure its outcomes have a lasting impact, the consortium will create a spin-off company, carry out extensive environmental and economic assessments, and create a social acceptance guide to facilitate policy influence and community engagement.
“As part of our sustainable future, geothermal energy ought to be a cornerstone of Europe’s renewable energy mix,” Prof Jouhara added. “So GEOFLEXheat is poised to become a catalyst for energy sustainability, economic growth and environmental stewardship.”
The consortium, coordinated by Brunel University London (UK), also includes: Baseload Power Iceland ehf (Iceland), il Consorzio per lo Sviluppo delle Aree Geotermiche (Italy), European Heat Pump Association (Belgium), Flowphys AS (Norway), GESTRA AG (Germany), Olivieris Tech Incubator Limited (Ireland), Privanova SAS (France), Rete Geotermica (Italy), Spike Renewables S.r.l. (Italy), Transformation Lighthouse, poslovno svetovanje, d.o.o. (Slovenia) and Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas (Lithuania).
Reported by:
Joe Buchanunn,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268821
joe.buchanunn@brunel.ac.uk