| Title | Potential and Use of Warm Waters from Deep Alpine Tunnels |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ladislaus Rybach and Jules Wilhelm |
| Year | 1995 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | rock temperatures, warm water inflow, potential assessment, heat pumps, district heating |
| Abstract | Several deep tunnels crosscut considerable sections of the Swiss Alps which drain, especially in permebale fracture zones, considerable amounts of warm water. Utilisation for space heating of such waters, flowing under gravity to the portals, is already underway. The outflow from the 16 long Furka railway tunnel feeds a local distribution system to heat a part of the village of Oberwald, canton Wallis. The new NEAT project aims at two deep tunnels (Gotthard, 56 km; Lotschberg, 39 km). A preliminary potential assessment, based on predicted temperatures and inflow rates, yields several tens of for both planned tunnels. Nearby potential consumers have already been identified. |