German state of Bavaria pushes expansion of geothermal energy utilisation
The German State of Bavaria is pushing further geothermal development with ambitious plans for geothermal district heating and power generation, which will be the key theme of the upcoming Praxisforum Geothermie,Bayern in Munich, 16-18 October 2018.
The expansion of the utilisation of geothermal energy is gaining momentum in the State of Bavaria in Germany. An important element for this are the favorable geological conditions in southern Bavaria. It is expected that the largest geothermal (heating) plant will be commissioned in 2020 in the city of Munich, the capital of Bavaria.
The state Government of Bavaria has declared the aim to further expand the use of geothermal energy in the electricity and heating sectors over the next few years. Against this background, the event of Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern 2018 takes place in Munich in mid-October under the auspices of the Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy and Technology Franz Josef Pschierer.
As of today, there are 6 geothermal power plants producing electricity in Bavaria, four of which are also delivering heat . In addition, 16 plants are in operation in Bavaria, which serve solely the sustainable district heating supply.
Currently, four more geothermal plants are under construction. The Holzkirchen plant is to start supplying heat in December this year. In Garching, a geothermal power plant will be built, which will have a minimum electrical output of 3.5 MW. Optionally, the heat extraction will be tested here. In Munich Sendling, the exploration results on the current project of Stadtwerke München (SWM) are promising. From 2020, the largest geothermal plant in Central Europe, with a capacity of 50 MW thermal, is scheduled to go into operation. The first well is currently being drilled for the project Dorfen. Further projects in Bavaria are in the planning.
Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern presents findings from research and practice
Due to its geological conditions, Bavaria presents a great opportunity for the utilisation of geothermal energy. Bavaria is a leader in Germany. There are 44 wells that are already in operation and are producing or reinjecting. Bavaria further plays a central role in technology development and geothermal energy use in Central Europe. The aim of the Bavarian state government is to further expand the share of geothermal energy in power and heat generation. With regard to the heating sector, Bavaria has launched a program to intensify the expansion of deep geothermal heating networks.
The geothermal sector in Bavaria will again receive support this year from the event of the Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern, which is being held under the patronage of Franz Josef Pschierer, the Bavarian Minister of State for Economics, Energy and Technology, and will take place for the sixth time.
From 16 to 18 October, the latest findings from geothermal research and practice will be presented in Munich. On October 17, the main day of the congress, six forums offer the opportunity for discussions and information exchange. On 18 October, the current drilling activities of SWM in Munich-Sendling and the extended geothermal plant in Unterföhring will be visited as part of the “Geottour”.
Source: Release
