Think GeoEnergy
Summary
Under a project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 program, the seaside municipality of Alexandroupolis in Greece has been working on utilising geothermal resources near the city to provide sustainable heating.
The Antheia-Aristino low-enthalpy geothermal field is considered as one the most important geothermal fields located in Greece, mainly due to the availability of geothermal fluid of more than 90 degrees Celsius temperature and its potential for exploitation.
Tapping the geothermal resources nearby is an important objective of Alexandroupolis in its strategic plan towards a resilient low-carbon local economy. This beautiful seaside city is working with a network of smart and sustainable cities (including Gothenburg, Utrecht & Nice) to accelerate deployment and improve performance as part of their work in IRIS Smart Cities.
The investment for the construction of the geothermal district heating network amounted to EUR 6.2 million. The project was eligible for funding by the ERDF Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020 of Region of East Macedonia and Thrace, which financed 95,31% of it. The remaining 4,69% was invested by Municipality’s own capital.
To secure the exploitation permit for the geothermal field was a rather long journey for Alexandroupolis. The project includes the development of a geothermal district heating network that will provide heat for municipal buildings, social housing and greenhouses with a total thermal power estimated at 10 MW. It is considered as the first step of the exploitation of the available geothermal energy since the Municipality aims to expand the geothermal district heating network to residential buildings and potential industrial consumers. The project is expected to be implemented and completed within the next 18 months, so by mid/ late 2022, the project could be operational.
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