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PRESS RELEASE – Geothermal, Lithium, and Hydrogen: the State of Vaud grants Swiss Geo Energy an exploration permit in the Payerne-Avenches region
Press Release – Swiss Geo Energy successfully completes its geophysical campaign in the Eclépens region
Open Day – September 9, 2023 – Learn about geothermal energy, the GeoCogen Eclépens project & the geophysical campaign
Photo: Meet the Swiss Geo Energy team, from left to right: (1) Mikhail Baykulov, Geophysics Lead, (2) Eric Masquelier, Head […]
About GeoCogen La Broye project
The GeoCogen La Broye project aims to produce electricity and heat to power district heating networks in the Payerne, Avenches, and Fribourg regions.
If the geothermal potential is confirmed, Swiss Geo Energy could develop one or more hydrothermal geothermal power plants based on the underground waters circulating in naturally fractured deep reservoirs.
The project aims to contribute to reducing Switzerland’s energy dependence on fossil fuels by developing efficient geothermal installations and accessing vital resources for the energy transition, such as white hydrogen (naturally produced at depth) and lithium.
Geothermal energy is a form of renewable energy that comes from the heat produced in the Earth’s crust. This energy can be exploited by capturing hot fluids circulating in deep aquifers (reservoirs) through one well, then harnessing the heat and useful dissolved minerals before reinjecting these same fluids via a second well. This ensures the sustainable use of an inexhaustible resource. The produced heat will be used to supply renewable energy to district heating networks, agricultural greenhouses, and, if the temperature level is sufficient, to produce local and green electricity.
These geothermal fluids are rich in minerals, which are mostly returned to the original reservoir. The heat is harnessed after passing through an exchanger, ensuring the geothermal fluid and the water circuit for turbine operation or injection into a district heating network (DHN) remain independent. The brine is then returned to the reservoir via a second well to preserve the resource and allow regeneration.
If lithium is present, it will be separated from other minerals through geochemical processes currently being developed in Europe and utilised for battery production.
If white or native hydrogen is present, it will be captured independently and valorised in the developing sector of this future energy carrier. The understanding of the hydrogen formation processes in the deep subsurface and its capture methods are still in the research stage, as it has only been a few years since researchers realised that this resource is generated in exploitable quantities locally. Therefore, if we detect this new renewable resource, we will collaborate closely with experts and the Federal Energy Office to develop a pilot site and then a demonstrator.
Geothermal energy has several advantages, such as constant availability, regardless of weather conditions, low environmental impact, and a modest footprint.
To find out more, visit our page dedicated to geothermal energy.
The geophysical campaign aims to obtain the necessary data to establish a three-dimensional map of the geological structures of the subsurface. Moreover, a three-dimensional image of the subsurface will significantly increase the chances of finding an exploitable geothermal reservoir and other resources such as lithium and hydrogen.
The compilation and study of old seismic reflection profiles carried out in the region, as well as the strata crossed by the old Courtion-1 drilling (1961), tend to show that the Broye region offers promising potential for the circulation of geothermal fluids. This region is characterised by a thinner sedimentary basin than to the south, west, and north due to the presence of the continental crust at a shallower depth (from about 2,500 m), mainly formed of granite. This is where most of the geothermal heat production occurs under our latitudes. This type of configuration and the likely presence of many faults connecting the granitic basement and the overlying sedimentary rocks are often favourable for exploiting geothermal fluids and lithium in the lower part of the basin in contact with the basement.
However, knowledge of the subsurface in the region remains limited, which explains why Swiss Geo Energy wants to start the exploration of the regional subsurface with a 3D seismic reflection campaign from the surface to precisely map the position of sedimentary units down to the basement and to determine the position and characteristics of faults traversing the region over an area of approximately 200 km². This will help us understand how this key part of the subsurface in the north of the canton of Vaud and the west of Fribourg’s canton formed and verify if the characteristics match those sought for renewable exploitation of regional resources.
The Swiss Geo Energy teams are currently undertaking administrative procedures with the Fribourg cantonal authorities to obtain, like in the Vaud territory, the necessary permissions to perform geophysical measurements on the surface. Once these procedures are completed, the geophysical campaign planning phase will be initiated, and the request for financial support to the Federal Office of Energy will be prepared and submitted.
Following the same operational mode as in the Eclépens region, the seismic measurement campaign is scheduled between autumn 2025 and spring 2026.
If Swiss Geo Energy estimates that the region presents exploitable concentrations of lithium and/or hydrogen, the extraction methods would be cutting-edge for lithium, similar to what is done in the Rhine basin, in compliance with the strictest environmental provisions.
Suppose hydrogen is present, which is less likely in the region, given the pilot nature that such exploitation would imply. In that case, we will launch a pilot project with the support of the SFOE, in collaboration with the best experts in the field and based on close dialogue with the cantonal authorities.
As for lithium, the company plans to use Direct Lithium Extraction technology (DLE), an advanced method that allows lithium to be extracted from brines. This method is undoubtedly better for the environment than mining or recovering brines from South American salt lakes. It would be a byproduct of heat exploitation downstream of it, done using specific resins or membranes to separate lithium. The rest of the fluid would be reinjected into the subsurface, preserving the resource and ensuring its regeneration.
Regarding hydrogen, if specific measures detect its continuous flow from the subsurface to a future wellhead, Swiss Geo Energy will launch a pilot project with the best experts in the field. This project would then be conducted in strict compliance with Swiss and European standards.
If you have questions about the GeoCogen La Broye project, you can contact us by email at .
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