St Hilaire Precinct District Geothermal System

Direct Energy drilled a number of test bore holes for The Crystal Group, owner/developers of a ~6,500 home precinct to be based at Wallan Victoria. These included investigation of aquifers in the local area and geological assessment, including several test bore holes. Ground loops were also installed to serve the onsite home display centre’s heating and cooling system.

The new estate, scheduled to start civil works in 2024, will be the largest geothermal system in Australia, incorporating 530 hectares of integrated geothermal resources comprising geothermal ground loop fields, lake and aquifer based geothermal systems.

Engineering Design and regulatory approval is well underway, with design and financial modelling undertaken for the first 290 homes. The smart geothermal system is designed to be modularised and integrated, providing maximum diversity in the system and optimal efficiency. The unique design is tailored to meet Australian conditions and provide ease of constructability and a low cost of operation & maintenance.

Multiple radial and vertical drill rigs will need to be utilised in the construction phase of the project. The scale of this project is unprecedented. It will be the largest geothermal system installed in Australia and one of the largest residential precinct geothermal district systems in the world.