ETH researchers are working on various systems for deep geothermal energy

Researchers at ETH are fully harnessing energy from underground to generate electricity and heat. Several research groups at the university are exploring the possibilities of geothermal energy, ETH Zurich reported in a press release. According to her, Switzerland is better prepared for the use of geothermal energy in terms of technology, regulation and public acceptance than it was a few years ago.

A group led by Stefan Wiemer, Professor at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH Zurich and Director of the Swiss Seismological Service, is conducting research in the BedrettoLab on minimizing earthquake risks in so-called enhanced geothermal systems. A sensor-based system monitors the creation of the necessary artificial cracks in which water heats up. The knowledge gained in the BedrettoLab will be used in the planning of the geothermal pilot power plant in Haute-Sorne JU.

The group led by Martin Saar, Professor of Geothermal Energy and Geofluids in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH, is exploring the possibilities of closed raw circuits in which CO2 circulates. These so-called deep closed-loop advanced geothermal systems could be "a climate-friendly alternative to CO₂-intensive reserve gas power plants", Saar explains in the press release. The group has also already patented so-called CO2-Plume Geothermal Systems. Here, the permanent storage of CO2 in rock is combined with its use for the production of heat and electricity. The storage of process and summer heat from buildings in the rock, which can be used for heating in winter, is also being investigated. ce/hs