| Title | Life Cycle Assessment of the Construction Phase of a Water-Gravel Thermal Energy Storage System with Reused Infrastructure |
|---|---|
| Authors | J. Weise, C. Bott, K. Menberg, P. Bayer |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | The utilization of seasonal underground thermal energy is increasingly recognized as one key technology for decarbonizing the heating and cooling sector. Among the various types of underground thermal energy storage (UTES) systems, water-gravel thermal energy storage (WGTES) systems represent buried artificial basins filled with water-saturated gravel. The two-component filling material provides structural stability, making them suitable for locations with space limitations, such as in urban areas. Their installation is more demanding than related geothermal storage applications that utilize the natural subsurface, while their overall environmental performance strongly depends on the construction processes and materials used. This study evaluates the environmental impact of a WGTES currently implemented at the “incampus” demonstration site in Ingolstadt, Germany. At this site, the reuse of existing infrastructure following the “Reno-sTES” concept is demonstrated. Therefore, we employ life cycle assessment (LCA) following ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. The focus is set on the construction phase of the WGTES to identify key environmental impacts. We build upon previous assessments of three UTES case studies, and we evaluate geothermal storage technologies. Results reveal that the reuse of concrete basins as structural elements can offer considerable potential for reducing material consumption and emissions. Further, the results illustrate the importance of optimized material and construction process selection for the implementation of seasonal UTES in general. |