| Title | Urban Direct Heating Geothermal Project Development in Regina, Canada – A Case Study |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brunskill, B., Struthers, N.: |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | Cities and municipalities are heavily impacted by the effects of climate change due to extreme weather events like overland flooding and the encroachment of wildfires. These types of events directly affect the quality of life and durability of infrastructure that support residents and taxpayers. In 2018, the City of Regina, Canada, pledged to become a 100% renewable city by 2050 and in 2022 released its Energy Sustainability Framework to provide a pathway to achieve these goals. In 2023, the City of Regina, with the technical support of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC), explored developing a commercial-scale deep geothermal energy source to provide sustainable and reliable direct heating for a new indoor aquatic facility – a significant capital project for the city. This project will significantly reduce the GHG emissions of city-owned buildings and directly support specific goals and strategies within the city’s Energy and Sustainability Framework. The PTRC conducted a pre-feasibility study to quantify the viability of utilizing the geothermal resource. This work confirmed with a high level of confidence that a dependable, base-case energy production rate is sustainable for 70 years while supporting the business case for development. The importance of municipal-level commitments to the development of sustainable and long-life infrastructure projects will be presented along with the initial technical and economic assessment that supports the sustainability goals of the municipality. In March 2024, a funding announcement was made between the Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments, with construction to begin in 2026. |