From feasibility to a Swiss reference design
Following several months of integrated technical, geological and economic analysis, SwissDGS, EAPOSYS, Well Engineering Partners and Prof. Pierre Perrochet of the University of Neuchâtel have completed an 80-page assessment of scalable AGS under representative Swiss conditions. The work was enabled by the SIG Fonds Vitale Innovation.
Switzerland counts more than 700 addressable heat-demand clusters, typically requiring 3–20 GWh/year. Against this significant existing market opportunity, the study develops a realistically sized first AGS installation tailored to Swiss conditions.
A realistic first step
The resulting 2-leg kick-starter design targets approximately 5 km depth and 1–2 km laterals, delivering around 2 MWth with robust natural thermosiphon circulation. Importantly, it can be deployed using proven drilling and completion technologies available today.
The study also looks beyond initial CAPEX to assess AGS as a 30–60+ year infrastructure asset: underground, locally sourced and capable of providing predictable baseload heat largely insulated from fuel-price and geopolitical volatility.
For EAPOSYS and SwissDGS, the study provides an important foundation for the next step: turning a technically and economically quantified reference design into a first Swiss flagship installation.
