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

Governance

Regulatory perspectives on UTES

One of the key challenges faced by the PUSH-IT project is the complex regulatory landscape for High Temperature Underground Thermal Energy Storage (HT-UTES) technologies. This varies significantly across different countries. PUSH IT aims to identify and compile key regulations, evaluate their effectiveness and propose guidelines for a more effective and proportionate regulatory approach. This will help streamline the permitting process and accelerate the deployment of geothermal storage projects.

March 31, 2025

Research

Meet the Scientists: Tessel Grubben and Alexis Koulidis

In this edition of Meet the Scientists we interview Tessel Grubben, PhD candidate, and Alexis Koulidis, post-doctoral researcher, both at TU Delft. Tessel and Alexis focus on well construction.

March 27, 2025

Engagement

The potential of BTES: Borehole Thermal Energy Storage System, developed at TU Darmstadt

Professor Igno Sass, a hydrogeologist and process engineer at the Technical University of Darmstadt, explains about the groundbreaking BTES-project to develop a deep, high-temperature heat storage system in Darmstad, as part of the larger European Push-it project.

March 17, 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.