In 2018, VITO selected the bid proposed by SPIE Belgium to supply the cooling system in a new power plant that is part of VITO’s 'Deep Geothermal Energy' research initiative. The process involves pumping hot geothermal brine to the surface from a 3.6 km-deep well to produce heat and electricity. “We installed nine adiabatic coolers at the plant, which are coupled to a thermodynamic system that converts heat into electricity,” explains project manager at SPIE Belgium Roald Noels.
Adiabatic cooling uses natural processes (ambient air, water and evaporation) to regulate temperature, making it very energy efficient. “These smart e-coolers self-adjust depending on the temperature of the water and air, so they only use as much energy as needed”. They also reuse city water, reducing water consumption by 75%.
The size and position of the coolers, in a facility 200 metres from the plant, required custom-designing the system in the space of six months. “It was a real team effort,” says Roald. His colleagues Koen Maes, project manager, and Jo Poelmans, technical drawing engineer, focused on designing the structure for the coolers. “Drafting the plan perfectly was critical because if adjustments have to be made on site, it’s very expensive,” explains Koen Maes. This promising proof-of-concept project to provide energy from the earth’s heat is in step with VITO and SPIE’s shared commitment – building a more sustainable world.
The next steps: extracting CO2 from the air
The first geothermal brine was pumped to the boiler room at the end of 2018 and will provide heat for the facility. Over the coming months, SPIE Belgium, which has been actively collaborating with VITO for many years, including on Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning installations and maintenance, will be connecting VITO’s technical services building to this internal heat network. "We’re also working on another project with VITO that involves extracting CO2 from the air", adds Roald. “They’ve asked us to make a prototype that heats up the air using a VITO system. The ultimate aim is to try to develop a circular system that uses geothermal heat from the ground to provide the energy to extract CO2 from the air.”
Accelerating the transition to a more sustainable world
The independent research institute, Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO), develops and builds large-scale pilot projects to test-run new clean technologies in the fields of energy, water, health and raw materials. The project of Mol, Belgium is one example.
“ This plant is providing us with in-depth knowledge about deep geothermal energy: experience that can be shared with other stakeholders. SPIE has been a partner in this pioneering project, which is proving the potential of this renewable resource. We’ve worked with SPIE Belgium on many Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning projects over the years and have a very good relationship. We know we can rely on their expertise.”