Foxdrill contributes to sustainable future energy source
Major impact
The test wells require wells of varying depths, some of which are deeper than 2,000 metres. The first project in Amstelland has now been completed. Foxdrill was contracted by the engineering firm Antea Group to supply a conductor and to provide piling to create a stable foundation for the drilling pit. Foxdrill is thus contributing to a project that could have a major impact on the energy supply in the Netherlands. This was demonstrated by the visit of the Dutch King, Willem-Alexander, to the site and the national news agency that stopped by to do a story.
Precise work
"We piled the conductor with a diameter of more than half a metre to a depth of 72 metres," says Ewold Jager, Proposal Engineer at Foxdrill. "This conductor consists of six steel tubes. One tube is picked up with a special lifting clamp and placed in a frame on our truck. Using roller guides and measuring equipment, we can position the pipe exactly vertically. Then we position our hydraulic pile driver on top and start piling. When the tube is far enough into the ground, we place the next tube on top of it. When it is exactly vertical again, we weld it in place and start piling again.
After two and a half days, the conductor was in position and the drilling site could be built".
Energy source of the future
The Wagenborg Foxdrill team has other geothermal projects in the pipeline. Jager: "A while ago we installed the first conductor for a geothermal project in Middenmeer. Five more are planned near Bleiswijk. And there is a good chance that more projects will follow."
It is certainly something special to be able to contribute to this promising energy source of the future.
Ewold Jager, Proposal Engineer