Linate Airport Geothermal Project: Evaluation of the Underground Hydrogeological and Geothermal Resources

Abstract

A detailed study of the geothermal reservoirs existing in the subsurface of the Linate (Milano - Italy) airport area was carried out in the frame of a geothermal project aiming at meeting the heat needs of the airport installations (space heating, de-icing and de-misting). The inventory and interpretation of all available information allowed the assessment of the hydrogeological and geothermal characteristics of the existing aquifers, namely the shallow, intermediate and deep aquifers. Mathematical models were applied for the definition of the aquifer thermal and hydrodynamic behaviour. A thorough economical analysis was carried out for the optimisation of the geothermal fluids exploitation and relevant technologies. Furthermore, the study of the best system to store the interseasonal heat by means of injection in the shallow aquifer was carried out. The results allowed to propose reliable technico-economical solutions for the aquifer exploitation and for the storage of the interseasonal heat.