Mijnwater starts drilling for new heat source on Terhoevenderweg in Heerlen New source expands Parkstad’s district heating and cooling network Mijnwater has started drilling work for a new heat source at Terhoevenderweg in Heerlen, marking another important step in the expansion of its sustainable heating and cooling network in Parkstad. After a period of preparation, work began this week and is expected to continue for three to four weeks. Because the operation must be completed safely and efficiently, the drilling is taking place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The project is part of Mijnwater’s broader effort to strengthen a low-carbon energy system for the region. The new source will tap warm groundwater in a former mine passage deep underground and feed that energy into the company’s network. For Heerlen and the surrounding area, this means further development of a district energy system that draws value from the region’s mining past while supporting a more sustainable energy ...
Geothermal risk insurance and underwriting markets are quietly becoming one of the most important enablers for scaling geothermal – especially EGS and “ superhot ” projects – because they turn subsurface uncertainty into a risk that developers, DFIs and lenders can actually price, transfer and manage. Image : Steam gushing out of a geothermal power plant Why geothermal needs underwriting, not just subsidies Geothermal is structurally different from solar and wind. The biggest risk sits up front in exploration and early drilling, before there is a proven resource or a power purchase agreement. A few bad wells can sink a project’s economics, and that’s a kind of binary, pre‑cash‑flow risk most commercial lenders and many DFIs are reluctant to take directly. Public grants and concessional loans help, but they don’t fully solve the problem. Developers still need mechanisms that: - Protect equity if a drilling campaign under‑performs. - Make it easier to raise debt once re...