VITO launched the development of the geothermal plant end 2009 on the assumption that deep geothermal energy can make an important contribution to the energy transition. Over the years, the project generated important data on the local geology, the environmental impact of deep geothermal and the viability of geothermal heat delivery and co-generation. However, VITO did not yet succeed in running the plant at its design capacity. The main question about the plant’s operability is the seismic activity. Since the start, two earthquakes were recorded that requested for long-term suspension of operations. The geothermal facilities provide heat to a 3rd generation district heating network and act as Technology Infrastructure for testing innovations to advance deep geothermal energy. In addition, the data that has been collected over the year is available for research and for the development of modelling tools. In this paper we discuss the results of three studies in which the VITO geothermal plant and connected heating network acted as a case to evaluate the impact of demand side management and thermal storage on geothermal district heating. Smart demand side management results in higher thermal output of the plant and more stable production conditions. Thermal storage allows adjusting flow rate to the expected thermal demand and to reducing pump energy. It remains VITO’s ambition to use its geothermal facilities as a test site for deep geothermal technologies and to convert the knowledge and experiences gained into tangible value propositions for all stakeholders. Central to this ambition is stable heat delivery in a way that is acceptable for the stakeholders.