Scientists say enough hot water lies under the country to heat it for several thousand years using geothermal energy
Geothermal energy - not wind power - is the city's best bet for supplying its future sustainable heating needs, according to a new study.
Scientists from the Capital Area Geothermal Cooperation (HGS) say that 74 degree water, lying approximately 2.7 kilometres under Copenhagen, can provide city residents with district heating for several thousand years.
But geothermal energy is not present in the plans of either the government or private energy companies as of yet. The high cost of the process, particularly in constructing the plants necessary to distribute it, mean
It is still cheaper and more effective to continue burning waste and biomass to create energy for heating purposes.
The project is therefore a long-term one. But experts from the Western Copenhagen Transmission Company (VEKS) are already preparing to introduce geothermal district heating in 2025.
Geothermal heating need not be a phenomena restricted to Copenhagen. The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) points out that the entire country has seas of underground hot water available to provide district heating.
'We know there are tonnes of warm water in the sand layers,' said Anders Mathiesen, senior adviser at GEUS, to Berlingske Tidende newspaper.
'The challenge is finding the layers where the water is easiest to pump up. The layers have to be very porous so the water can stream out easily. But our initial data suggests the process looks very promising for the whole country,' he said.
But besides the high cost of the plants' construction, another reason geothermic heat is not an economically attractive option is that the plants must operate continuously, including during the summer.
'And we already have three huge waste incineration plants that are producing more heat than we can use during the summer,' said Thomas Hartmann, leader of the co-operative project, Capital Area Heating Plan.
Hartmann did say that geothermal heating is included in the project's plans, although he does not know when it can be implemented on a large scale.
Consultancy firm EA Energi said widespread geothermal heating is closer to reality than many believe, citing results from a recent demonstration model in the city's Amager district.
'If the figures are accurate, then it's certainly economically feasible,' said EA's Jørgen Boldt. 'It looks like a good bet for our future heating needs.'
It is the government's goal to have 20 percent of the country's energy from sustainable sources by 2011. Statistics show that the country is moving in the right direction, as production of green energy has increased annually since 1980.
Currently, 17 percent of Denmark's energy comes from renewable sources.
