Local utility starts geothermal seismic campaign near Freiburg, Germany
Impuls/ seismic study truck (source: BadenovaWaermeplus)
Alexander Richter
23 Jan 2022
Local energy utility Badenova has started a seismic campaign to explore the geothermal potential for planned geothermal heating project.
In the search for hot water deposits, local energy supplier Badenova carries out seismic depth measurements in the greater Breisach area. This is intended to explore the potential for geothermal energy.
Three heavy, so-called impulse vehicles are currently on the road between Breisach, Freiburg and Bad Krozingen. With their help, the Freiburg energy supplier Badenova wants to find out whether there are thermal water deposits in the depths that can be used to generate heat.
If the results of the 3D measurements deliver a promising result, Klaus Preiser, managing director of the Badenova subsidiary Wärmeplus, would like to build a large geothermal plant that could provide heat for 40,000 people.
“We will generate this heat somewhere in the region and then transport it to where it is needed. A large part will certainly go to Freiburg. But municipalities such as Breisach, Bad Krozingen or Schallstadt can and will also benefit.” – so Klaus Preiser, Managing Director of Badenova Wärmeplus.
The three giant impulse vehicles can send vibration waves into the ground. Several geophones – these are microphone-like measuring rods – are stuck in the earth and record the impulses reflected in the various layers of the earth. This allows the earth tremors to be measured three-dimensionally. A detailed picture of the geological structures is created down to a depth of several hundred meters.
In the coming weeks, measurements will be taken in Breisach, Merdingen, Schallstadt, Ehrenkirchen, Bad Krozingen and Hartheim (all in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district) and in Freiburg-Munzingen.
As part of the project, the company has also started an interesting stakeholder/ public engagement approach. On its website, Badenova’s heat initiative badenovaWÄRMEPLUS reports having founded a citizens’ council to transparently involve the citizens of the seven municipalities involved in the ERDWÄRME-BREISGAU project in the ongoing investigations right from the start. 37 randomly selected people met together with the project partners for their first meeting on January 18, 2022 in the Kurhaus Bad Krozingen.
Source: SWR
