Drilling completed for geothermal heating in Garges-lès-Gonesse, France
Site visit at drilling operations in Garges-les-Gonesse, France (source: Energie Verte de Garges)
Carlo Cariaga
28 Aug 2025
The Coriance Group has completed geothermal drilling in Garges-lès-Gonesse, France and will soon supply the heating network with 100% emissions-free energy.
Energie Verte de Garges, a subsidiary of the Coriance Group, has announced the completion of geothermal drilling in the in the town of Garges-lès-Gonesse in the Val-d’Oise department of northern Paris, France. With this the district heating network of Garges-lès-Gonesse will now be supplied with a combination of geothermal energy and energy from a wastewater treatment plant, making it 100% carbon-free.
Drilling in Garges-lès-Gonesse started before the end of March 2025, targeting the Dogger formation at 1600 meters depth, where thermal waters at 65 °C temperature were expected. This thermal water will then be fed to a nearly 20-kilometer heating network that serves home, public facilities, and municipal buildings. With the heat network operating, the town of Garges-lès-Gonesse will avoid annual emissions of up to 20,000 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 16,667 vehicles.
The project costs EUR 65 million, with the Agency for Ecological Transition (Agence de la transition écologique / ADEME) providing EUR 25 milion and the Île-de-France region also supporting with another EUR 3 million.
Geothermal drilling as an awareness tool
The geothermal project in Garges-lès-Gonesse was also designed as an awareness tool, with the drilling site being opened for immersive visits of residents, students, project partners, and municipal officials. More than 600 visitors, including 450 students, were welcomed in a dedicate space fitted with bay windows. The visitors were able to participate in interactive workshops to help them understand how drilling works and how the project contributes towards the energy transition.
A more immersive experience was offered to project partners and city officials with visits supervised by the Energie Verte de Garges team. The visitors were able to explore the site and observe up close the drilling rig in action, thus gaining a better understanding of the technical challenges of geothermal drilling
Source: Groupe Coriance
