The province of Groningen has announced providing a loan of EUR 2 million ($2.2 million) for the development of a geothermal heating network in the the city of Groningen.
The city is the largest city in the North of the Netherlands and the capital of the province with the same name. About 200,000 people live in Groningen,
It is expected that the project could eventually provide heating for about 11,000 households. It is developed by the municipality and the local Water Company.
Within five years, it is expected that geothermal heating could be connected to the households from a resource at the local Zernike Campus, a university campus in the city.
The project aims to drill to a depth of around 3,000 meters to tap into hot water for heating purposes. Despite the large cost to develop the system, it is expected to provide some long term value to the community in the form of a clean and sustainable energy source.
Source: Groene Courant
