Geothermal Vierpolders
About Geothermal Heat Vierpolders
In 2008, a group of 8 horticultural entrepreneurs took the initiative to develop a geothermal power plant in Vierpolders: Aardwarmte Vierpolders (A4P). As of 2016, A4P supplies sustainable heat to greenhouse horticulture companies. From 2017, it will also provide electricity through its own Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system.
The collective of horticultural entrepreneurs produces peppers, tomatoes, various propagating vegetables and potatoes and flowers with its more than 600 employees. These are supplied to hundreds of thousands of consumers in the Netherlands and Europe. Renewable energy is an important part of the production process. Where many horticultural companies still burn natural gas, A4P is committed to a sustainable heat supply. With the collective geothermal power plant, it increases energy efficiency and energy independence and reduces CO₂ emissions by about 50% annually. And that will increase in the future, is the ambition of A4P and Glastuinbouw Nederland. Geothermal heat also has an important role to play in the municipal of Voorne aan Zee and in national heat plans.
Initiators Geothermal Heat Vierpolders
Globe Plant BV, Islandplant BV, Kwekerij Nederpelt BV, Kwekerij Noordermeer Prominent, Tabos Eco BV, Vitensa, Van Der Voort, Timar BV
Briefly, how does geothermal heat work?
Geothermal energy, or geothermal energy, is sustainable heat from underground that can be used to heat buildings and homes. The deeper we go into the earth, the warmer it gets. Every hundred meters down, the temperature rises by about three degrees, and so does the water at great depths. The water at A4P is about 80°C. Geothermal heat extraction involves pumping hot formation water from underground.
- The pumped water remains in a closed circuit, through heat exchangers the heat is transferred to tap water. That tap water is transported through the heat grid.
- Once the heat from the formation water is transferred through a heat exchanger, the formation water is directly returned to the subsurface.
- Through a distribution station, the heated tap water is transported to buildings and the cooled tap water is returned to the geothermal plant.
- A building is connected to the heat grid through a receiving station (heat unit) inside the building.
Large-scale operations
During the months of March, April and May, large-scale work will be done at site Geothermal Vierpolder. Silting has caused a blockage in the production well. As a result, it is producing much less geothermal heat than allowed and required. By installing a "detour" in the well now, production can increase from 165 m³/hr of hot water to 300 m³/hr. That detour will be made by sidetrack drilling. The increase in geothermal production to normal levels leads directly to a substantial reduction in the share of natural gas. The reduction of natural gas is necessary because of the high and fluctuating market prices and because of the objective of energy-neutral greenhouse horticulture in 2040. Furthermore, good geothermal heat production contributes to the predictability and security of supply of sustainable energy for greenhouse horticulture entrepreneurs.
Sidetrack drilling: what exactly is happening?
- Preparation: supply of materials, construction of a 10-meter high sound barrier, construction of the test water storage and construction of the drilling rig itself (March 20 - 31) .
- Drilling: there will be 4 weeks of day and night drilling (April 3 through May 6.
- Testing: Test water will be collected and disposed of (May 1-2).
- Demolition of drilling rig.
- Restart regular production (May 9).
- The entire operation takes about 6 weeks.
Keep an eye on the A4P website for updates around the schedule.