As part of an urban development zone, the public entity SPL Terrinnov, 100% owned by local authorities, was tasked by Pays de Gex Agglo to develop a 65-hectare mixed-use development zone near Geneva International Airport. This ambitious urban project was selected as part of the “Sustainable City Demonstrators” call for proposals under the France 2030 program.
This mixed-use development zone will include, by 2030, 195,000 m² of activity zones (hotels, offices, cultural centers, retail spaces, a conference center, sports, and wellness facilities), 2,500 residential units, and 15,000 m² of public amenities.
To meet the heating and cooling needs of the zone’s buildings, an innovative energy project was envisioned: a 5th-generation thermal network. This “anergy network” is based on a tempered geothermal water loop that also recovers residual heat from CERN, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator. Celsius Energy, in partnership with its consortium, won the contract to design and construct the geothermal probe field comprising 40,000 linear meters connected to the network. This mega geothermal project is a record in France.
To achieve the project’s environmental goals, SPL Terrinnov sought a local, low-carbon energy solution capable of supplying heating and cooling to the zone’s buildings.
The thermal exchange network was designed to meet several key requirements: reduce energy intensity, optimize energy use according to its qualitative value, and significantly lower CO2 emissions.
The 5 km-long anergy network will supply the zone’s thermal needs via a tempered geothermal water loop. This loop relies on 40 km of geothermal probes designed and installed by Celsius Energy and its consortium, reaching depths of up to 230 meters. The system includes three geothermal probe fields to regulate the loop temperature, allowing seasonal heat storage and retrieval as needed.
Celsius Energy was chosen for this project due to the operational expertise of its consortium, which met the project’s scale and timeline challenges. The quality and durability of the solution, as well as innovations like inclined drilling technology that minimizes land use and advanced digital energy management tools, were decisive factors.
Additionally, the network will recover residual heat generated by CERN’s 27 km particle accelerator, connecting its heat exchanger to the Génilac network. A central production plant and multiple substations will distribute 20 GWh of heat and 6 GWh of cooling annually.
Buildings in the zone will draw thermal energy through heat pumps according to their needs. Surplus heat generated during the summer will be stored underground for use during colder months, thanks to the geothermal probes installed and managed by Celsius Energy and its consortium.
Once operational, the anergy network will annually avoid the equivalent of 5,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions compared to conventional carbon-based heating solutions.
Celsius Energy stood out with two value propositions: its inclined drilling technology, which requires less land, and its energy management tools.
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