According to a feasibility study carried out in 2021, the Inwil/Perlen region in the canton of Lucerne is exceptionally well-suited to the use of geothermal energy, further details of which can be found in a press release issued by CKW. The Axpo subsidiary is keen to exploit this potential for the generation of heat and electricity. Various potential locations along the freeway in the municipality of Inwil are currently under consideration as the site for a planned power plant.
In specific terms, CKW plans to extract water from the region’s shell limestone layer, which begins at around 3,750 meters below sea level. At a depth of around 4,000-4,500 meters, the temperature of the water is likely to be approximately 140 degrees Celsius and is therefore suitable for producing electricity, as CKW writes in the press release. The power plant planned by the Lucerne-based energy and building technology company could supply around 4,000 households with electricity and 6,500 households with heat.
At present, the project is in the preliminary clarification phase with the cantonal authorities for the approval and licensing process. CKW anticipates that the project could be completed to a timescale of around six years. The company intends to invest approximately 70 million Swiss francs in the geothermal power plant.
“Geothermal energy is a sustainable, safe energy source that is already being used in many places”, comments Martin Schwab, CEO of the CKW Group, in the press release, in highlighting comparable projects in Germany and France located in the vicinity of the Swiss border. Switzerland should also be looking to realize projects of this kind, says Schwab. “They represent another element in a safe, reliable and climate-friendly energy supply”.
