Xiong’An New Area, China records steady growth of geothermal heating
Government of Xiong'an New Area, Xiong'an, Hebei, China (source: ??, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Carlo Cariaga
2 Apr 2025
Eight years after its establishment, the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei,China has developed geothermal heating covering 12 million square meters of floor area.
The geothermal heating capacity in the Xiong’An New Area in Hebei, China has now grown to 12 million square meters on the 8th year anniversary of its establishment. This corresponds to about 27% of the floor area of the newly constructed zones in Xiong’An, and this number is expected to increase to 30% by next year.
Assuming an average household size of 42 square meters, this means that geothermal is providing heating to about 285,000 households in the Xiong’An New Area.
We had reported on the early years of development of the Xiong’An New Area back in 2019.
Strict regulations for sustainability
The geothermal resources in Xiong’An had already been documented in the 1970s during drilling for oil exploitation, as explained by Hu Wenjin, deputy general manager of China Xiongan Group Smart Energy Co. The resources were then quickly utilized for hot springs baths and heating. However, the lack of any regulation at the time meant that excessive exploitation resulted in the decline of the geothermal resources and ground subsidence.
Hu explained that, once the New Area was established eight years ago, a strict principle was implemented – the amount of geothermal water to be extracted is determined by the volume that is reinjected, thus ensuring a balance between production and reinjection. Xiong’An New Area has managed to achieve sustainable extraction of geothermal energy and avoided the issues that happened in the past.
A hybrid system
Since the New Area’s establishment eight years ago, 60 medium-depth wells and 2360 shallow have been drilled and put into operation. These supply a dozen energy stations have been established in Xiong’An.
Hu further explained that these stations use both geothermal heat and natural gas in a hybrid system. In cases of extreme cold weather, natural gas can be used to supplement geothermal and ensure a stable heat supply. When there is surplus geothermal heat, then the energy stations operate emissions-free. Xiong’An has also started operations of a waste-to-energy facility for added heat supply.
Hu also noted that shallow geothermal energy is a key focus area for development, as these can also provide cooling. “It can not only utilize heat under the ground for winter heating, but also harness the soil’s cooling capacity for summer cooling. It’s an excellent renewable and sustainable energy solution,” he said.
