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SWM to invest EUR 1 billion for Munich geothermal expansion

SWM to invest EUR 1 billion for Munich geothermal expansion View over Munich, Bavaria, Germany (source: flickr/ Achim Lammerts, creative commons)
Carlo Cariaga 4 Jul 2022

SWM will be focusing on expanding existing geothermal projects in Munich with a target of 400 to 450 MW of thermal energy capacity.

Munich city utility Stadtwerke Munchen (SWM) is set to invest around EUR 1 billion to expand the capacities of their deep geothermal systems by the early 2030s. The preliminary target is to increase the number of doublets from one to three in the geothermal plants of Kirchstockach, Durrnhaar, and Sauerlach. The second doublet at Kirchstokach should be completed by 2025.

The expansion of the existing locations is the most economical way to increase capacity, explains SWM Technical Director Helge-Uve Braun, because of the difficulty of finding locations in urban areas. Helge-Uve Braun was recently selected as the new president of the Federal Geothermal Association (BVG).

In south Munich, SWM is cooperating with Erdwarme Grunwald (EWG) and Innovative Energie Pullach (IEP) to set up new geothermal systems or expand existing ones. In the case of Pullach, the expansion of the district heating network aims for 100% coverage by 2027. We had also reported on the partnership of SWM and EWG to build a geothermal heating plant in Grunwald.

Braun said that the location and schedule of drilling is yet to be agreed upon, by SWM is hoping that there will be a new doublet in Grunwald and Pullach by 2026 or 2027.

“We will leverage enormous potential and want to develop geothermal heat with a thermal output of 400 to 450 megawatts by the early 2030s.” said Braun. This will be enough to supply about a quarter of the total district heating requirement of Munich.

Source: Merkur.de