Dalkia awarded contract for geothermal district heating project in Beauvaisis region in France
Dalkia has been awarded the contract to develop and operate a geothermal and biomass district heating network in the Beauvaisis region in northern France.
Dalkia has been awarded the 30-year Public Service Delegation contract for the development and operation of a low-carbon heating network in the municipalities of Beauvais, Tille, and Allonne in northern France. The future district heating network will use a combination of geothermal energy and biomass, thus representing the first geothermal project in the Hauts-de-France region in over 40 years.
Work on the project is scheduled to begin in 2027, targeting start of operations by early 2029.
The planned district heating network will supply the equivalent of 16,000 dwelling, including the Paris-Beauvais Airport, Beauvais Hospital, schools, sports facilities, commercial buildings, industrial sites, and multi-family and single-family homes. Through the use of low-carbon and sustainable energy, the project will avoid 33,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and supply heating at prices 40% lower than a gas-fired system.
The project envisions the drilling of a geothermal well to about 1500 meters depth to access the Dogger formation. Biomass, sources from the forestry and agricultural sector, will supplement the heating supply. Absorption heat pumps will be installed to support the two heating sources. About 45 kilometers of network pipes will be installed across the territory.
Dalkia, with the support of French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), will be investing more than EUR 130 million over the duration of the project.
“The Beauvaisis district heating network is a structuring and ambitious project serving the region. It fully contributes to strengthening its attractiveness by offering a low-carbon and competitive energy solution to economic, service, and industrial stakeholders. It also allows residents to benefit from more local energy, at a more advantageous and, above all, more stable price over time,” commented Sylvie Jéhanno, President and CEO of Dalkia.