Long awaited PUSH-IT pilot drilling launched last week starting with a core well in 550m. Litoměřice belongs to one of the six testing sites in Europe where research on the use of the rock massif for seasonal underground thermal energy storage is being carried out.
In Litoměřice, the BTES thermal energy storage will be developed, reaching depth of 100 to 500 m in 2025. The PUSH-IT pilot boreholes will provide key data on the hydrogeological conditions and physical properties of the rock needed for the design of the future BTES systems. The first borehole´s main contribution will be drill core needed for detailed geological description and laboratory measurements, as well as data from logging measurements, in particular permeability and rock fractures. Once completed, the borehole will be equipped with a distributed temperature sensing fibre optic cable (DTS) for a long-term monitoring of thermal conditions in the whole the borehole profile, which will allow long-term monitoring of the thermal impact of future BTES storage. The second borehole will reach depth of 200 m and it is intended to be an open borehole with a perforated casing at the bottom part allowing long-term monitoring of hydrogeological conditions and continuous water sampling. Both boreholes will serve the monitoring purposes (e.g. temperature, water quality) and as such will contribute to safe operation of the BTES, which is also important for permitting of these facilities in the near future. Drilling and measurements, supplied by German company H. Anger's Sons, should be completed within 3 months and the first data and interpretation of the results will be presented by the middle of this year.
On the occasion of the start of the drilling works, a press conference was held on the drilling site supported by the whole Czech PUSH-IT team. Apart from the national, regional and local media, representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Ústecký region and the Town of Litomerice participated at the even. The press conference was also attended by MEP Alexandr Vondra, member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, who praised the innovative potential of the project and its importance for the Czech Republic energy transition, but also contribution at the EU level owing to its international character.
Follow us on the PUSH-IT and https://rin-gen.cz/ to see the progress of the drilling works and much more.
