PUSH-IT – Piloting Underground Storage of Heat In geoThermal reservoirs

Piloting Underground Storage of Heat In geoThermal reservoirs

Project PUSH-IT’s ambition is to overcome the seasonal mismatch between heat demand and heat generation from sustainable sources using underground heat storage. The EU-funded project focusses on three innovative technologies for high-temperature heat storage, as well as enabling technologies, societal engagement, and governance, policies and business models.

The goal is to develop this missing link in heat networks as a safe, reliable, affordable, and economically viable solution that fits existing and future regulatory frameworks. This contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving a net-zero carbon economy and society in Europe by 2050.

Optimal system integration

Social engagement

Enabling technologies

Delft (NL)

Darmstadt (DE)

United Downs (UK)

Bochum (DE)

Litoměřice (CZ)

Berlin (DE)

The technologies

Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) is the storage and recovery of thermal energy in aquifers, which are permeable layers that contain groundwater.

Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) is a large, underground heat exchanger. A BTES system consists of a set of tubes installed in the underground, placed vertically in a borehole.

Mine Thermal Energy Storage (MTES) uses the mine water present in abandoned mines as a carrier for transporting heat.

The pilots

PUSH-IT will demonstrate full-scale implementation of heat storage in geothermal reservoirs at three demo-sites: Delft (Netherlands), Darmstadt (Germany) and Bochum (Germany). Next to these key demo-sites, three ‘follower’ locations for future pilots are Berlin (Germany), Litomĕřice (Czechia) and United Downs (United Kingdom). At these sites, we will address specific local technical and societal challenges and engage local stakeholders. We will translate our findings into solutions that can be applied to heat storage systems across Europe.

The topics

Social engagement, societal benefits, and risk and regulations

will be addressed to ensure public understanding and support and speed up market upscaling of heat storage.

Optimal system integration & control

will be developed to reduce costs, ensure environmental protection and achieve better integration of sustainable heat in the energy system.

Enabling technologies

and good practices will be employed to improve performance, safety and realisation of heat storage.

News

Research

New Model Brings HT-ATES into the Heart of Energy Systems

A new study by David Geerts and Wen Liu from Utrecht University and Alexandros Daniilidis from TU Delft presents a groundbreaking solution for integrating High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES) into energy system modeling. The key innovation? A fast, accurate, and openly accessible data-driven model that estimates the production temperature of HT-ATES systems—without the computational cost of traditional physics-based simulations.

August 14, 2025

Engagement

Meet the Scientist: Merryn Thomas

In this edition of Meet the Scientist we interview Merryn Thomas. She is a researcher at the University of Exeter, where she focuses her research on the societal engagement around UTES.

July 30, 2025

Development & Realisation

An update from the United Downs site

At the recent General Assembly in Bochum, the United Downs site has given an update of the progress that has been made. This will be discussed together with a recap of the site’s goals and objectives.

July 16, 2025

Feel free to contact us

PUSH-IT is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101096566.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.