Optimizing the geothermal potential of tunnel water by separating colder sectional discharges - Case study Brenner Base Tunnel

Geisler, Thomas; Wolf, Magdalena; Götzl, Gregor; Burger, Ulrich; Cordes, Tobias; Voit, Klaus; Straka, W.; Nyeki, E.; Haslinger, E.; Auer, R.; Lauermann, M.; Pol, O.; Obradovic, M.; Pröll, Tobias; Marcher, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.renene.2022.12.069

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Thereby, an annual heat output of 5.3 GWh was generated in 2017 [13]. However, examples from Germany [14] and Austria [15] also show the magnitude of heat extraction from tunnels as well as the distribution to consumers [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geothermal Potential of the Brenner Base Tunnel—Initial Evaluations

Geisler

Voit

Burger³

et al. 2022

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Increasing demands on mobility and transport, but limited space above ground, lead to new traffic routes being built, even more underground in the form of tunnels. In addition to improving the traffic situation, tunnels offer the possibility of contributing to climate-friendly heating by indirectly serving as geothermal power plants. In this study, the geothermal potential of the future longest railway tunnel in the world, the Brenner Base Tunnel, was evaluated. At the Brenner Base Tunnel, warm water naturally flows from the apex of the tunnel towards the city of Innsbruck, Austria. In order to estimate its geothermal potential, hydrological data of discharge rates and temperatures were investigated and analyzed. The investigations indicated the highest geothermal potential in the summertime, while the lowest occurs during winter. It could be shown that these variations were a result of cooling during discharge through areas of low overburden (mid mountain range), where the tunnel atmosphere is increasingly influenced by the air temperatures outside the tunnel. Nevertheless, the calculations showed that there will be a usable potential after completion of the tunnel.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This paper presents the results of the ThermoCluster project [18], funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, aimed at evaluating the geothermal potential of the tunnel water of the BBT. An overview of the database and its further processing is presented together with the results and a discussion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%