Seasonal storage for a broader audience with MT-ATES

Efficient energy management is a key pillar in the future vision of Dutch greenhouse horticulture. With the goal of achieving an emission-free sector by 2040, there is a growing need for smart solutions that better balance energy demand and supply.

One of those solutions is Middle Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (MT-ATES): an innovative technology that allows heat to be stored underground in the second or third aquifer. The stored heat can later be pumped back up and used in the greenhouse. Since the MT-ATES system can store water up to 45°C, it offers growers more flexibility to make optimal use of available heat. This makes the technology not only technically interesting, but also economically attractive.

MT-ATES versus LT-ATES
MT-ATES can be seen as the “big brother” of Low Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (LT-ATES), known in Dutch as Warmte-Koude Opslag (WKO). While LT-ATES has already been used for certain crops, MT-ATES offers greater potential thanks to the higher storage temperatures.

An LT-ATES system operates with a cold well (approx. 6°C) and a lukewarm well (approx. 15°C). In winter, the cold well is charged with a heat pump, and in summer, the stored cold is used to cool the greenhouse. The heat released in this process is stored in the lukewarm well and can be reused the following winter.

An MT-ATES system works on the same principle, but with a lukewarm well (15°C) and a warm well (up to 45°C). Only the warm side of the doublet is used. When there is a heat surplus, for example in summer, this heat is stored in the buffer and reused in winter.

Because MT-ATES allows higher storage temperatures and does not require cooling in summer, it opens up new possibilities for growers who could not previously benefit from LT-ATES. For many greenhouse businesses, where heat demand peaks in winter and drops to nearly zero in summer, the MT-ATES buffer helps smooth out these seasonal fluctuations.

It’s important to emphasize that MT-ATES is a storage system, not a heat source. But that’s precisely what makes it such a powerful link in a sustainable, future-proof energy system.

Pilot projects and integration
Together with the Province of South Holland, Greenport West-Holland, KWR, and Glastuinbouw Nederland, several pilot projects are underway in which growers are testing MT-ATES in practice. These projects provide valuable insights into how this technology can best be integrated into existing energy systems.

By combining MT-ATES with smart climate systems, heat pumps, and other sustainable energy sources, growers can better manage their energy use and further optimize their cultivation conditions.

Subsidies and Certhon expertise
For growers looking to invest in MT-ATES, various subsidy schemes are available, such as the Market Introduction of Energy Innovations in Horticulture (MEI) program.

Certhon combines years of experience in energy management with in-depth knowledge of innovative technologies. We support growers in the design, implementation, and integration of MT-ATES solutions, fully tailored to the specific needs of their business.