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State of Bavaria in Germany planning funding for geothermal development support scheme

State of Bavaria in Germany planning funding for geothermal development support scheme View over Munich, Germany (source: Praxisforum Geohtermie.Bayern/ Enerchange)
Alexander Richter 16 Sep 2020

The State of Bavaria in Germany is planning to put forward a budget from 2021/ 2022 for a support scheme that is to help push geothermal development in the state for both heating and power generation projects.

The Federal State of Bavaria in Germany remains committed to further renewable energy development, thereby also putting an emphasis on baseload geothermal energy. “We still have much unused potential, not only of wind power and solar PV, but in particular of geothermal energy. This we will have to utilise now.”, so Hubert Aiwanger, Minister of Trade for the State.

He now has put forward a Masterplan Geothermal, with a core part on the expansion of district heating networks for the connection of existing geothermal facilities to consumers. We initially reported on the plans back in October 2019, when the plan was initially announced. It is now planned to put forward budget funding for a new support program from 2021/ 2022. “Bavaria has a wealth of hot springs, which can help us to become independent from fossil fuels”, so Aiwanger.

Deep geothermal resources are tapped by wells with a depth of up to 5,500 meters. So far, 66 wells have been drilled in Bavaria, with 23 facilities that produce either heat or power, or both. Geothermal plants in the State have a combined heating generation capacity of 300 MW thermal and a power generation capacity of 30 MW electric. Two additional facilities are expected to come online in 2020 and eight further projects are in a concrete planning stage.

Further exploration drilling is known of planned projects, particularly in the area around Munich and in the Southeast of Oberbayern. How the drilling results are will have to be seen. “We are though counting on that companies could be developing several project sites”, so the Minister.

The annual Praxisforum.Geothermie Bayern will take place this year on October 14, 2020 in Pullach, near Munich. It will provide a great opportunity to connect  with people in the industry, developers and municipalities.

Source: IWR