Integrating Groundwater Remediation with Thermal Energy Storage for Sustainable Urban Development

Groundwater pollution due to industrial processes, particularly from chlorinated solvents used in past dry cleaning activities, remains a significant environmental challenge in many urban areas worldwide. This contamination often results in brownfields, rendering valuable urban plots unusable and necessitating costly and prolonged remediation efforts. Concurrently, the adoption of shallow geothermal energy systems, such as Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) and Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES), is on the rise as cities seek sustainable energy solutions. These systems store thermal energy in groundwater, posing potential risks to groundwater quality. However, recent studies in Denmark and the Netherlands have demonstrated that ATES systems can accelerate bioremediation of contaminated groundwater, while lab studies have shown that BTES can significantly enhance biodegradation rates of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Despite these promising findings, there remain substantial gaps in our understanding of the biogeochemical and hydrological processes involved, as well as the policy and institutional frameworks needed to support the widespread adoption of these technologies.

This Research Topic aims to explore the integration of soil and groundwater remediation with sustainable heating and cooling solutions, known as Remedia-TES or TES-plus. The primary objective is to investigate how these combined approaches can drive sustainable urban design, enhance groundwater protection, and facilitate the transition to clean energy. Key questions include understanding the effects of contaminant mixing and temperature changes on bioremediation processes, optimizing the design and implementation of ATES and BTES systems, and developing policy frameworks that support circular and nexus approaches in water management. By addressing these questions, the research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential and challenges of Remedia-TES in urban environments.

To gather further insights into the integration of thermal energy storage and groundwater remediation, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Groundwater modeling and (bio)remediation techniques
- (Bio)geochemical processes and thermal energy production
- Sustainable urban planning and implementation in the built environment
- Integrated water resources management (IWRM) and water-energy nexus policy analysis
- Mechanistic understanding of biodegradation and temperature effects on contaminant fate and transport
- Interaction of subsurface infrastructure with aboveground spatial planning
- Policy and institutional frameworks for sustainability transitions
- Water and subsurface as leading parameters in spatial design
- Organizational aspects integrating groundwater quality and management under climate change
- Development of societal business cases for sustainable energy and climate adaptation
- Ownership and management of clean groundwater and sustainable energy resources

By addressing these themes, this research topic aims to stimulate the circular economy and support the development of carbon-neutral cities with clean groundwater.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage, Groundwater Contamination, Spatial Urban Energy Planning, Integrated Sustainable Energy Technologies, Bioremediation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.