Exploitation of geothermal energy using tunnel lining technology in a mountain environment. A feasibility study for the Brenner Base tunnel - BBT

The study starts by collecting data on the geology, hydrogeology and temperature distribution of the investigated area as well as geometrical and mechanical details of the adopted tunnel sections. Kriging techniques are applied to obtain a three-dimensional temperature model from available information. The study defines several energy lining geometries and selects the most feasible one for practical implementation. An assessment of the energy and pressure drops to be expected at the tunnel entrance for the different circulation and operational modes is presented. The specific topic of end-user needs for the BBT situation are finally discussed.