Bavaria allocates EUR 10 million for geothermal research
The State of Bavaria invests 10 million EUR and holds a round table meeting with stakeholders to accelerate the expansion of deep geothermal in Bavaria.
Economics and Energy Minister of the State of Bavaria, Germany Hubert Aiwanger has announced that the state will invest EUR 10 million for geothermal research. This is a part of a 500-million EUR budget for energy and hydrogen programs that aims to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies in Bavaria.
Relating to this, the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi) held a “Bavarian Deep Geothermal Energy Round Table” to discuss options and opportunities for deep geothermal energy in Bavaria. In attendance were representatives from Bundesverband Geothermie (BVG), the Geothermie Allianz Bayern, and operating companies.
During the meeting, BVG’s Helge-Uve Braun and Minister Aiwanger emphasized the importance of geothermal energy in Bavaria’s heat transition. The goal of the Free State of Bavaria is to cover 25% of the heat supply with deep geothermal energy by 2040. The representatives in the meeting presented options for accelerating this transition to geothermal while making a distinction between measures at the federal level and those at the state level.
According to the participants, the prerequisites for a structured exploration and extraction of geothermal energy are better provision of geological data, the development of a detailed, large-scale reservoir model, and the obligation for municipal heat planning. For a safe investment, companies and municipalities need suitable insurance solutions for discoveries and financing instruments that supplement the federal funds provided.
According to the participants, other important measures include a responsible implementation unit for the “Bavarian deep geothermal energy master plan”, accelerating the approval process, among other things by hiring staff in the approval authorities. The “Bavarian Geothermal Alliance” should be significantly strengthened as a scientific association. A continuation of the dialogue was suggested by the participants.
Earlier this month, Geothermie Allianz Bayern released an expert report with an analysis for the optimization of the geothermal potential in Bavaria through combined heat and power lines and examines the extent to which deep geothermal energy can contribute to the transformation of the region’s heating sector.
Source: Bundesverband Geothermie and Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy