The world’s largest geothermal lagoon is set to be built in Charlevoix, Canada. The lagoon is being designed based on the famous geothermal lagoons in Iceland, however at 12,000 sq metres (130,000 sq ft) it is much larger than the largest lagoon in Iceland at 8,7000 sq meters (93,000 sq ft).

The Geolagon project will be kept at 39 °C (102 °F) all year, despite surrounding air temperatures reaching below zero (32 °F) in winter.

The lagoon being built near Quebec City will be heated through various energy sources including geothermal, biomass, photovoltaics and solar heating. There will also be a thermal reservoir beneath the lagoon that will store excess heat.

Geolagon project owner and CEO Louis Massicotte said, “this is one of the keys to our recipe, I have a patent pending on this huge thermos under our pool.”

A viability survey carried out by Canadian sustainable energy company Akonovia found that the projects energy demands could be met through renewable energy sources. Massicotte is hopeful that through further energy optimisations and new technologies, like sewer heat recovery, the lagoon will be able to become an energy provider to the Quebec grid.

Surrounding the lagoon chalets will be built to house guests and will be fitted with photovoltaic cladding to assist with the running of the lagoons heat pumps. According to Massicotte 80% of the chalets have been presold to investors.

Construction on the project is expected to get underway in March 2023 and should last around 18 months. Massicotte is also planning three more geoLagon projects around Quebec.