| Title | The foreseen Mine thermal energy storage (MTES) system within the PUSH-IT project |
|---|---|
| Authors | Florian Hahn, Stefan Klein, Jonas Güldenhaupt, Elke Mugova, Torsten Seidel, Timo König |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | The EU aims to have a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) economy by 2050, with 55 % reduction on 1990 levels by 2030. At present, heating and cooling represent over 50 % of the final energy demand in Germany and are mainly supplied by fossil fuel derived energy (BMWK, 2022). A challenge for decarbonizing heat systems is the size of the seasonal mismatch between supply and demand for heat and heat generation from sustainable sources. The potential of volatile renewable thermal energy sources can only be fully exploited through a flexible management of heat supply networks and a wide range of different storage technologies. Mine thermal energy storage (MTES) systems could provide such a replicable and smart solution to counterbalance the seasonal dip and peak in the heating and cooling demand. One of the 6 sites where the PUSH-IT project develops and demonstrates heat storage in geothermal reservoirs is Bochum, North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), Germany. Here, an abandoned mine formerly used for hard coal production, is being transformed into a Mine Thermal Energy Storage (MTES). |