Munich utility and partner Erdwerk restructure cooperation
Geothermal heat plant of Riem, Munich, Germany (source: Stefan Obermeier/SWM)
Alexander Richter
27 Jul 2021
With a new structure of its cooperation with engineering group Erdwerk, city utility of Munich/ Germany SWM strengthens its internal capacity for a future built on great geothermal heating ambitions.
In order to further advance the district heating vision of Stadtwerke München (SWM), the city utility of Munich/ Germany and German engineering group Erdwerk announce having restructured their cooperation. With the new arrangement, employees, data and relevant data models, as well as ongoing programs have been transferred to SWM.
“The heating energy transition was a particularly important element for Dr. Achim Schubert, founder of Erdwerk [who suddenly passed away last year]. I am therefore pleased that this transaction will further strengthen the expansion and use of geothermal energy. We are also continuing to work at full speed to plan and implement geothermal projects, both regionally and internationally, ”explains Katharina Klaffs, the managing director of Erdwerk.
The Munich-based company is a pioneer in the development of deep geothermal energy in Bavaria and has been a close partner of SWM since the first Munich geothermal project in Riem (2002), as stated in a SWM press release on the transaction. The collaboration resulted in milestone projects, such as Germany’s largest geothermal plant at HKW Süd. In addition, the joint approach has also significantly developed know-how for the use of deep geothermal energy in the Bavarian Molasse Basin. Proof of this are the many joint research and development projects that made the district heating vision of SWM and systems such as the one at HKW Süd possible in this form in the first place.
Team for the heating transition will be enlarged
With the ambitious goal of providing 100 percent CO2-neutral district heating primarily from local geothermal energy by 2040 at the latest , Helge-Uve Braun, Technical Director of SWM, and Dr. Achim Schubert, Managing Director of Erdwerk, decided in 2019 to restructure the cooperation between the two companies. This plan has now been implemented: employees who had been in charge of SWM projects in the past were offered a switch to SWM and they all took advantage of this offer.
In this way, SWM not only acquires human resources to further advance the heating transition in the Munich area, but also extensive know-how about geothermal resources in the Munich underground. “This step is the maximum commitment that we are serious about district heating conversion and geothermal energy in the Munich region. We are almost doubling the team in this area and are bringing central know-how in-house. The additional motivated colleagues and the resources now available to us allow us to work even more effectively on implementing the heating transition, ”explains Helge-Uve Braun.
Framework agreement regulates further cooperation
The future cooperation between the two companies was regulated in a framework agreement. This gives SWM the flexibility they need in the project environment. At the same time, Erdwerk receives predictable business stability in its core market. The partners will continue to work together to further develop the use of deep geothermal energy.
Source: SWM press release via our German partner website TiefeGeothermie
