Measuring geothermal energy return
In 2024, EAPOSYS and Well Engineering Partners (WEP) teamed up with four TU Delft Master’s students through the Joint Interdisciplinary Project (JIP) to investigate the net energy available to society from Deep Geothermal Systems.
The team developed an Energy Return on Investment (EROI) framework, accounting for energy invested across exploration, logistics, materials, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning.
Testing the framework
The framework was applied to two contrasting cases: the conventional Geothermie Delft system and an EAPOSYS Advanced Geothermal System concept in Svalbard.
The analysis highlighted the importance of materials, operating conditions and system lifetime in determining overall energy performance. It also showed how the long operating life of AGS can progressively offset its higher upfront energy investment.
The project provides a basis for comparing geothermal concepts through the net energy they ultimately deliver, complementing technical and economic assessments and supporting future optimization of Deep Geothermal Systems.
A big thank you to Anusha Yethadka Ganaraja, Daoni Gabrielle, Mantas Rotmanas and Mukul Sharma for their enthusiasm, interdisciplinary thinking and valuable contribution to advancing our understanding of the net energy performance of deep geothermal systems.
