Researchers from the Geological Survey of Finland GTK have determined Finland's medium-deep geothermal energy potential. Medium-deep geothermal energy provides a low-emission heating solution for densely built areas and urban settlements, which improves both local and national climate sustainability.
Finland has considerable medium-deep geothermal energy potential. The results of the GTK researchers' analysis indicate that it would be possible to extract between 600 MWh and 1,200 MWh of geothermal energy per year from one 2 km deep borehole heat exchanger. Using this energy reserve would enable low-emission heating solutions in densely built areas and urban settlements. Geothermal energy can also be used for district heating production.
The finite element method, mathematical optimisation and neural network were used to model the medium-deep geothermal energy potential of Finland.
The element model consisted of a two-kilometre-deep coaxial borehole heat exchanger surrounded by a medium, i.e., soil and bedrock. The simulations took into account the varying properties of the soil and bedrock as well as the properties of the borehole heat exchanger and the related technical parameters. With the help of a neural network, the energy potential could be calculated in less than a minute, while it would have taken up to 3.7 years without the machine learning method.
Finland's medium-deep geothermal energy potential dataset is intended as a tool for planning energy production. Having more detailed information on the volume and regional variation of medium-deep geothermal energy provides us with more opportunities to use it.
The dataset has been published in GTK's online services Hakku and Maankamara. When examining the data, it should be noted that it concerns technical potential, which is influenced not only by the depth of the borehole heat exchanger but also by the volume flow rate (discharge) of the geothermal fluid. The factors to be taken into account when using the dataset are described in more detail in the metadata accompanying it.
The dataset on Finland's medium-deep geothermal energy potential were produced in the Hybrid Geothermal Technology and Data Enabling Positive Energy Buildings (HYBGEO) project funded by Business Finland.
Map clip of Finland's medium-deep geothermal energy potential dataset. The areas shown in white on the map clip are water bodies. Photo: Geological Survey of Finland GTK.
Further information
Medium-deep geothermal energy potential dataset in the Hakku service
Medium-deep geothermal energy potential in the Maankamara map service (in Finnish)
Kimmo Korhonen, geophysicist
Geological Survey of Finland GTK
tel. 029 503 2202
email: kimmo.korhonen@gtk.fi
Annu Martinkauppi, geophysicist
Geological Survey of Finland GTK
tel. 029 503 5223
email: annu.martinkauppi@gtk.fi
