Groundbreaking held for new geothermal heating plant in Michaelibad, Germany

Source:ThinkGeoEnergy – Geothermal Energy News
Original URL:https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/groundbreaking-held-for-new-geothermal-heating-plant-in-michaelibad-germany/

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction phase of a new geothermal heating plant on the grounds of the Michaelibad (swimming pools) in Neuperlach, south-east of Munich, Germany. The infrastructure to support drilling and construction will be built over the next few years. Drilling for the project is expected to begin by 2028, with commissioning by 2033.

The Michaelibad project will be the seventh geothermal plant of local utility  Stadtwerke München (SWM) and is part of efforts to make heating in Munich CO2-neutral by 2040. Plans for the project were first announced in 2022. Four production wells and four injection wells will be drilled for the project, which will eventually provide heat for around 75,000 residents in Munich.

SWM currently already operates one of the largest district heating networks in Germany with a total length of around 1000 kilometers. This network will still need to be intensively expanded and densified to implement the transformation plan. The network is expected to grow by a further 600 kilometers by 2040.

There are currently 25 geothermal heating and power plants in Bavaria, generating a total thermal output of around 400 MW. However, the municipal utility is optimistic that there is further geothermal potential in the region that can be exploited. Less than a month ago, an announcement was made that SWM will be receiving EUR 43.9 million in federal funding to support their plans to expand geothermal heating.

Source: SWM and Kreisbote