The new deep geothermal plant at Mol will enable VITO to study the technical challenges, economic feasibility and potential of geothermal power, in real-world conditions, in Flanders.

After purchasing the former Balmatt site at Mol in 2007, VITO launched the project in 2015. Two wells with depths of 3.610 m and 4.341 m were drilled in 2016. The pumping test showed that the water flow and temperature are easily sufficient for achieving the project goals. The green light was therefore given for the actual construction of a deep geothermal plant on the site.

The water pumped to the surface is actually found in a deep calcareous layer at a temperature of around 130°C. After passing through the plant heat exchanger, the water brought to the surface is re-injected into the subsoil, where it is naturally re-heated. The cycle can then start again.

Generating both heat and electricity

VITO starts from the principle that, in continuous production, the two wells of the plant have a thermal potential of about 10 MWth and an electrical potential close to 1 MWe. This will be the first deep geothermal plant for Benelux to generate green heat and green electricity. A complete geothermal plant (with 5-6 wells) could aggregate 4 MWe, which would put the Mol site in the top 10 deep geothermal plants in Europe.

Beneficial green energy

Geothermal power is a renewable energy source, environment-friendly and available anywhere. It can contribute to a more stable energy price and reduce our dependence on foreign countries for our energy supply. It also generates energy without emitting pollution. Of course, deep geothermal power requires a large initial investment, but the later operating costs are moderate.

Driving the energy transition

For the construction and servicing of the above-ground facilities, VITO turned to our subsidiary ENGIE Fabricom. This mission fits perfectly into the strategy of our Group, which firmly believes in renewable energies. The construction of the facilities will start in January next year, with acceptance scheduled for August 2018.