Seismic surveys will now map the subsurface of Poznan
Poznan may be the first of the large Polish cities to have its district heating network powered by geothermal water, a clean and stable source of renewable energy. For this to happen, seismic surveys are needed to verify the potential for using geothermal energy in the capital of Greater Poland, Poznan. The research will begin this week, on March 11. The results of the geologists' work will provide detailed knowledge on the further development of the Poznan geothermal project initiated in 2023 by Innargi and Veolia Energia Poznan in cooperation with the City of Poznan.
Existing data indicate that the potential for geothermal energy in Poznan is significant. To definitively verify the analysis and proceed with design work, Innargi, a company specializing in developing geothermal projects, will conduct seismic surveys in Poznan, which will begin on March 11 and last up to 14 days. Special trucks will cover three routes with a total length of 60 kilometers.
The seismic surveys are another important step in planning our geothermal project in the capital of Greater Poland, Poznan. They will give us more detailed knowledge about the geological structure of the earth beneath the city's surface. We will also learn more about the hot water reservoirs we will want to use allowing is to better plan the entire project. The geothermal water will support Veolia, which is responsible for district heating, in providing local, stable and clean heat for the residents of Poznan.
Samir Abboud, CEO at Innargi
Seismic surveys have been carried out in Poznan in the past and have covered the northern part of the city. The work planned by Innargi will complete the geological map of the regional capital and focus on the central and southern areas of the city to get a full picture of the subsurface.
The project to use geothermal energy for district heating is made possible by a strategic partnership between Innargi and Veolia Energia Poznan, announced in 2023, under the auspices of the City of Poznan. At the time, the companies decided to jointly evaluate the potential of using geothermal energy as a source of heat for the district heating network.
Our strategic goal is to decarbonize Poznan s district heating system by 2030, i.e. to move away from the use of coal to generate heat and electricity. One of the projects to help us achieve this is the use of geothermal deposits for district heating in cooperation with our partner Innargi. Heat from inside the earth, which is a renewable energy source, has the potential to become part of our green energy mix. This is in line with our vision for the future of district heating, which goes hand in hand with the green future of the city and the continuous improvement of the environment and air quality.
Jakub Patalas, President of Veolia Energia Poznan
How do seismic surveys work?
The surveys will be conducted using specialized trucks the size of garbage trucks, which will travel along carefully planned routes. The trucks will send brief vibrations deep into the ground as they pass. These will then be reflected by the layers beneath the ground. All this will be recorded by so-called geophones. These are small measuring devices the size and color of a lemon. They will be placed in the ground along the routes of the surveys being conducted. The data collected is then used to create a geological map of the subsurface.
Seismic surveys are completely safe for both residents and the environment. The frequency of short-term vibrations is low and does not affect buildings. The surveys will be supervised and closely always monitored by a team of professionals.
People living near the planned routes will be able to hear the vehicles and feel brief vibrations lasting a maximum of 20 seconds. After about 10-20 minutes, the convoy will pass, and everything will return to normal.
The vehicles will travel between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. to minimize disruption to traffic. The trucks will be branded with the Innarga logo, and seismic surveys will be conducted by a Polish experienced subcontractor: Geofizyka Toruń.
Local, stable heat for households
The use of geothermal energy for heating is not new in Poland, and the first plant of this type was put into operation in Podhale as early as 1992. The Poznan project will be the first in Poland on this scale to use geothermal energy to produce heat to supply the city's district heating system. Veolia Energia Poznan estimates that the heat obtained from the geothermal plants could provide up to 20% of the city's district heating system needs. Current plans call for geothermal energy to feed the grid in 2029.
The City of Poznan, Innargi and Veolia Energia Poznan will jointly determine how geothermal installations will fit into the urban fabric and district heating network of the Greater Poznan capital. Several factors are being taken into account, such as geological conditions, zoning plans and the existing district heating network, which will influence the final decision on the deployment of the installations in the Poznan area.
The district heating systems of modern, urban areas are based on renewable energy sources, such as geothermal energy, heat from waste, as well as from other industrial processes in which thermal energy is a by-product of the process.
In Poznan, the thermal energy produced in the Thermal Waste Treatment Plant has been supplying the municipal heating network since 2016. This energy, classified as RES, accounts for 8% of the city's annual demand for system heat. Another important step in building the energy mix, contributing to the gradual reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, is the city's involvement in analysing the potential of geothermal energy. If the initial assumptions are confirmed, in the coming years Poznan has a chance that in the summer period 100% of the heat in the municipal system will come from renewable sources. This would be another step towards clean air for the residents of Poznan.
Katarzyna Kruszka-Pytlik
Director of the Municipal Management Department of the Poznan City Hall
Innargi and the City of Poznan, together with Veolia Energia Poznan, are reviewing potential locations for three geothermal installations in the areas of Starołęka, Franowo and Kopanina, respectively.
About seismic surveys
Seismic surveys will begin on March 11 on three planned routes in the southern and central parts of the city. The total length of the routes is about 60 kilometers.
