Video – Pullach aims for 100% geothermal heating by end of decade
Drilling rig on site in Pullach, Germany (source: Erdwerk)
Carlo Cariaga
24 Aug 2022
With increasing public acceptance, the geothermal heating network in Pullach, Germany is set to expand with a target of 100% coverage by the end of the decade.
A video feature (in German) by Reuters highlights the success of geothermal heating in the Bavarian municipality of Pullach in Germany. With increased acceptance and support from the municipal council, plans are now underway for the expansion of the heating network with a target of 100% coverage by the end of the decade. The geothermal heating network currently supplies 50% of Pullach’s heating needs.
We have previously reported on the plans for the expansion of the heating network in Pullach by the municipal geothermal company Innovate Energie Pullach (IEP). An increase in equity by IEP from EUR 12.5 million to 30 million will be used to fund the drilling of three additional wells in southern Pullach.
IEP Managing Director Helmut Mangold recalls the challenge of starting up the geothermal heating network: “The last ten years have been an absolute standstill in the area of renewable energy and specifically funding for heating projects. There were lavish subsidies of up to 40 percent for the conversion of combined heat and power plants from municipal utilities that are heated with gas or oil. When it came to expanding only renewable heating networks, there was zero, almost nothing.”
There has also been increased local support and acceptance of geothermal heating, partly ascribed to the Russian attack on Ukraine highlighting the importance of energy independence. Joachim Marienfeld, a resident of Pullach, mentioned the independence from fossil fuels as one of the benefits of having a geothermal heating network.
Pullach Mayor Andreas Most mentioned that there was now very high interest for geothermal heating, not just from residents, but also from commercial and industrial facilities.
The geothermal heating network currently spans a length of around 50 kilometers with a load of 30 MW. After the planned expansion, the network will become a bout 60 kilometers long with a load of 59 MW.
Embedded below is the video feature by Reuters as hosted in the faz YouTube channel:
Source: Reuters
