Country Update for Sweden 2020

Abstract

In this paper the current status of geothermal energy use and market development in Sweden is presented. Geothermal energy in Sweden is dominated by low temperature, shallow geothermal energy systems, and more than 95 percent of the installed geothermal energy systems are ground source heat pump systems for space heating and domestic hot water heating for single-family buildings. Over the last decade there has been an increase in the market for larger residential and non-residential shallow geothermal energy systems, often providing both heating and cooling. There are today two high-temperature borehole thermal energy storages (HT-BTES) in operation in Sweden, one residential and one industrial application. More large-scale high-temperature storages connected to district heating plants are under consideration or investigation. The geological conditions in Sweden are not favourable for deep geothermal in sedimentary rock. Since the mid 1980’s there is one low-temperature geothermal heat production plant in operation in Lund in the southern part of Sweden, providing heat pump supported geothermal heat to the district-heating network. Lately there has been an increasing interest in deep geothermal exploration in Sweden, raised by the development of the neighbouring deep geothermal project in Espoo in Finland. In 2019, shallow geothermal energy systems provide approximately 17.1 TWh (62 400 TJ) of heating from the ground (no heat pump electricity included). The installed heating capacity is 6 680 MW.