The people behind Geothermal Delft: building sustainable heat in the middle of the campus

The TU Delft campus is working on an important step in the energy transition: Geothermal Delft. While daily life on campus continues, sustainable heat is being developed underground for the city. We speak with Eric van Bennekom and Erik Blom by Gaia Energy about the challenges, collaborating with TU Delft and building a geothermal installation in the middle of a vibrant environment.

Developing sustainable energy without disrupting the environment

At first glance, it seems like an ordinary day at the TU Delft campus. Students cycle by, lectures take place and exams are taken. In the meantime, we are working on an important step in the energy transition: the realization of a geothermal installation that will provide Delft with sustainable heat.

The fact that this project can take place almost unnoticed in the middle of a busy campus is partly due to the efforts of Eric and Erik. They ensure that the construction and installation of the geothermal installation run smoothly, without disrupting daily activities on campus.

What does a working day look like on the project?

According to Eric, his role shifts throughout the different phases of the project.

Eric van Bennekom:
“During the drilling phase of the wells, my focus was mainly on external safety and contact with the environment. Once the aboveground installation was built, my focus focused more on project engineering, cost control and technical controls. Erik and I work closely together in this regard. He's busy with operational management at the construction site every day, while I focus more on the commercial side and purchasing. Every week, we evaluate progress together: what is going well, where should we make adjustments and how do we keep the project on track. In a place where students and staff come by continuously, good coordination with the environment is essential.”

For Erik, the focus is precisely on the daily organization at the construction site.

Erik Blom:
“My responsibility lies with the daily goings-on on the site. This means ensuring a safe, organized and well-organized workplace. With around thirty people on site and heavy materials being moved continuously, this is absolutely necessary. Safety always comes first.”

Cooperation with TU Delft

According to Erik, what makes the project special is the close cooperation with the university.

Erik Blom:
“The unique thing about this project is that the installation not only produces sustainable heat, but also contributes directly to scientific research. Researchers at TU Delft use the installation to continuously collect data and develop new insights. It's actually a living research environment.”

Eric emphasizes that the development of geothermal energy is also an important step in making the campus's energy supply more sustainable.

Eric van Bennekom:
“The campus already had a combined heat and power plant that ran on gas. With Geothermal Delft, a sustainable step is being taken towards replacing that installation. The need to say goodbye to fossil energy is greater than ever. That awareness is growing not only in politics, but also among organizations and people at home.”

Geothermal Delft shows how sustainable energy projects can be realised in the middle of a busy environment. Through cooperation, technical expertise and an eye for the environment, a project is created here that not only provides heat, but also contributes to knowledge development and innovation. A step forward for Delft and for the energy transition.

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