For more than ten years, the municipality of Gräfelfing has been working with varying intensity on the geothermal project - for a long time only physically represented by the beginnings of a district heating network.
That should change quickly now.
Mayor Peter Köstler yesterday announced the breakthrough in finding a partner - and an ambitious schedule.
Graefelfing
– "The municipality of Graefelfing needs a strong, experienced partner for its geothermal project who has the technical know-how and supports the operating concept," said Mayor Peter Köstler on Wednesday when asked by Merkur.
The partner has now been found as part of a two-year process with a Europe-wide tendering procedure, during which confidentiality was required.
It is Silenos Energy GmbH & Co. KG, the energy subsidiary of the Austrian Strabag Group.
For example, Silenos is already active in Gauting, in Garching an der Alz and in Fürstenfeldbruck.
Geothermal project: after more than two years of searching, Gräfelfing has found a partner
With Silenos, Gräfelfing founded the new Geothermie Gräfelfing GmbH & Co. KG.
The municipality, represented by its 100 percent subsidiary Fernwärmenetz Gräfelfing GmbH, holds 51 percent, 49 percent Silenos.
The municipality brought into the company the mining rights acquired from the Trinkl company for the drilling site on Neurieder Weg (on today's paddock areas of the riding club) as well as extensive preliminary work and investigations.
This entire procedure was discussed and decided at every stage together with the committees and the municipal council.
"Now we are finally on track and can work flat out on the implementation," says Mayor Köstler.
Implementation will be difficult enough.
First of all, an approval and detailed planning phase with strict deadlines begins.
Within this framework, profitability calculations are specified and seismic evaluations are carried out.
This is already stipulated by the KfW, which will support the project financially.
According to the mayor, the drilling and network expansion will cost around 70 million euros, spread over several years and including public subsidies.
In the Gräfelfingen municipal budget, 12 million euros have already been budgeted for the project over the next few years.
Gräfelfing's mayor expects around 70 million euros for the geothermal project
The schedule is for drilling to begin in the first half of 2024, which will take at least six months.
Köstler: "Hopefully by the end of 2024 we will be able to feed in the first hot water from our own geothermal energy." There is now a "foreseeable program" that will of course require a lot of effort from all those involved.
"But we have to get to it now, especially against the background of the events affecting the energy supply," says Köstler.
At the same time, he warns against excessive expectations when it comes to the connection of all Graefelfing households and customers.
In principle, the three expansion stages already worked out under Mayor Göbel remain.
Accordingly, in addition to the Lochhamer Schlag, first of all the council flats on Unterfeld and the Lochham school campus will be connected.
However, the acquisition is now also starting in parallel, and the network expansion is being pushed ahead - even if it will take years overall.
A consolation for all those who have to wait longer: "The heat will be sufficient for the whole of Gräfelfing." And more than that: "The company is free to sell heat to Planegg or to the public utility company," says Peter Köstler.