Vienna's €20bn (£17bn) bid to shed reliance on Russian gas
The capital of Austria has a plan worth €20 (£17) billion, aimed at gaining independence from imported natural gas from Russia. It will use heat pumps, new drilling, and increased energy efficiency, writes Bloomberg.
The state energy company OMV AG is conducting work on the outskirts of Vienna. Drilling is underway as part of research on a massive reservoir of boiling water called the Aderklaaer Conglomerate located 3 kilometres under the Austrian capital, reports Bloomberg. Geothermal energy is expected to help break free from dependence on Russian gas.
This is part of a €20 (£17) billion plan aimed at overhauling the Vienna heating system through drilling, massive heat pumps, and initiatives for energy efficiency, the agency notes.
Companies intend to use the boiling water to power huge heat pumps, providing hot water to 20,000 homes in Vienna.
Heat pumps, which extract ambient heat from the air, water, or ground and concentrate it, are more efficient at generating heat than gas-powered systems, Bloomberg emphasises.
They are also used by Vienna's waste incineration plants. The main waste processing centre in Vienna uses a giant heat pump to generate more energy than it consumes.
