Geothermal significantly important for Germany’s heat future

Under the slogan #GeothermieFürAlle, the Federal Geothermal Association (BVG) is committed to rapid expansion, especially in view of the current political controversy about coal, gas and oil imports. 

Currently, only around 0.1 percent of the energy consumed in Germany comes from deep geothermal projects and 1.4 percent from near-surface geothermal projects – in comparison, natural gas accounts for a share of 26.6%. According to Andre Deinhardt, Managing Director of the BVG, the industry was able to celebrate success with the inclusion of geothermal energy in the coalition agreement, but both the mining law applicable underground and the building law applicable on the surface continue to be key obstacles to the implementation of the planned measures. Overall, Deinhardt formulates seven prerequisites for the expansion of geothermal energy, such as the speed up of permitting processes, risk mitigation/ insurance or more emphasis on research and development. 

Germany must make itself independent of fossil energy imports from abroad. With its technological diversity, geothermal energy offers a future-proof solution perspective for the heating market. That is why the German Geothermal Association (BVG) is now calling for the course to be set for an ambitious expansion.

In the greater Munich area, an important and big step has already been taken towards #GeothermieFürAlle with the commissioning of the new geothermal plant in the southern thermal heat station in late summer 2021 which will be supplying 80,000 people with climate-neutral heat. In particular, looking back at the local beginnings  that were made in Riem in 1996, Dr. Christian Pletl from Stadtwerke München praised the enormous progress. While at the end of the last millennium there was still hardly any knowledge and few reference points available, the people of Munich are now supplied with heat from geothermal energy by more than a dozen heat plants. Other projects, such as at the Michaelibad, give hope that SWM will be able to produce sufficient CO2-neutral district heating by 2040 to ensure the base load and also store it for peak load times in winter.

A symbol of the upswing in geothermal energy – at least for Munich – is the historic combined heat and power plant of Stadtwerke München in the south of the city. The site, which was originally used as a coal-fired power plant in 1899, now houses a modern, highly automated geothermal plant designed to provide around 80,000 people with climate-neutral heat. Plant manager Thomas Gilg is also proud of a heat storage tank currently under construction, as well as the largest refrigeration system of the public utility company after completion. However, in order to be able to continue to use the noticeable upswing to accelerate the expansion of geothermal energy, SWM is also making concrete demands on politicians. Approval procedures are to be shortened and simplified,