Nov 24, 2025
A geothermal heating facility was opened at Fort de L’est in Saint-Denis, France.
A new geothermal heating plant has been opened at the Fort de L’est site in Saint-Denis, France. Managed by Plaine Commune Energie, a subsidiary of ENGIE Solutions, this plant has a capacity of 18 MWth (from geothermal energy and heat pumps) and can meet the heating needs of approximately 7,500 homes.
From 2023 to 2025, about 50 companies, under the Joint Syndicate for Heat Energy Networks (SMIREC), built a 9-kilometer heating network and drilled a geothermal doublet to 1,800 meters deep, targeting the Dogger Formation. The project's total investment was €29.5 million. The Fort de L’est facility utilizes a combination of biomass and deep geothermal energy, with gas available as a backup.
This plant is the third geothermal heating facility in Saint-Denis, following the geothermal system in Pleyel launched in late 2023 and another plant in Villetaneuse that started earlier this year. A recent municipal report indicates that about 66% of Saint-Denis's heating network is powered by renewable energies as of 2024.
Mathieu Hanotin, Mayor of Saint-Denis, stated that the commissioning of this plant aligns with their Territorial Climate Air Energy Plan, aimed at reducing emissions, enhancing energy independence, and improving residents' quality of life. Laurent Monnet, President of SMIREC, emphasized that the new plant illustrates the successful partnership between public governance and industrial goals, underscoring that the energy transition is being realized now.
Earlier this year, the French Government's Ministry of Energy and Industry released a document outlining seven measures to promote ongoing geothermal development for heating in mainland France and other regions.
From 2023 to 2025, about 50 companies, under the Joint Syndicate for Heat Energy Networks (SMIREC), built a 9-kilometer heating network and drilled a geothermal doublet to 1,800 meters deep, targeting the Dogger Formation. The project's total investment was €29.5 million. The Fort de L’est facility utilizes a combination of biomass and deep geothermal energy, with gas available as a backup.
This plant is the third geothermal heating facility in Saint-Denis, following the geothermal system in Pleyel launched in late 2023 and another plant in Villetaneuse that started earlier this year. A recent municipal report indicates that about 66% of Saint-Denis's heating network is powered by renewable energies as of 2024.
Mathieu Hanotin, Mayor of Saint-Denis, stated that the commissioning of this plant aligns with their Territorial Climate Air Energy Plan, aimed at reducing emissions, enhancing energy independence, and improving residents' quality of life. Laurent Monnet, President of SMIREC, emphasized that the new plant illustrates the successful partnership between public governance and industrial goals, underscoring that the energy transition is being realized now.
Earlier this year, the French Government's Ministry of Energy and Industry released a document outlining seven measures to promote ongoing geothermal development for heating in mainland France and other regions.