Geothermal energy in Geretsried: Electricity could be produced for the first time in 2024

Created: 07/21/2022, 20:00

By: Doris Schmid

The drilling site at Hofgut Breitenbach in 2017. © Enex Power Germany

Good news in terms of geothermal energy: the contract with the turbine manufacturer for the power plant has been signed.

Gelting – The companies Enex Power Germany and Eavor are pulling together on the geothermal project at Hofgut Breitenbach in Gelting: Enex owns the drilling site, Eavor supplies the technology.

"The early award of the contract was possible because Eavor can calculate the geothermal potential of the plant in Geretsried precisely in advance," explains Eavor Managing Director Daniel Mölk.

"Unlike conventional geothermal energy, which relies on hydrothermal deposits, with the Eavor Loop we can determine in advance what output the system should have." There is no risk of discovery, and the turbine technology can also be dimensioned accordingly in advance.

"That's why we gave the go-ahead now and thus optimized the construction time."

Turbines come from Italy

The turbines will be supplied by the Italian company Turboden.

"With Turboden we have found a perfect partner for the implementation of our new technological concept of geothermal energy." This concept envisages laying a total of four heat loops ("loops") in the ground - this requires drilling again.

Permission for power plant is expected any day

The construction of the power plant is to be carried out at the same time as the drilling work.

In his own words, Mölk expects approval for the power plant any day.

Work is scheduled to start in October.

Mölk says it will take about 15 months to manufacture the components for the power plant.

"It can then be set up in just three months."

Daniel Mölk © Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss

But before that, the necessary infrastructure has to be created.

For this purpose, the drilling site will be enlarged.

The managing director estimates that 150 jobs will be created during the construction phase.

Mölk is satisfied with the progress of the project so far.

There was a close exchange with the mining authority and other parties involved.

"For the fact that we are doing something completely new, everything was fine." For the future he hopes, "particularly against the background of an immense heat crisis in Germany", that permits for geothermal energy will generally be carried out more quickly.

He already has another project in mind outside of Bavaria.

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The demand is huge at the moment.

"With our technology, we can develop geothermal energy at most locations in Germany," says Mölk.

“The demand is particularly high where district heating networks already exist.” Everyone would be waiting to be able to visit the project in Geretsried during the construction period.

Mölk: "Geothermal energy is not only climate-friendly and able to cover the base load, but also an independent source of energy that everyone has under their own feet."

Electricity could be produced for the first time in 2024

According to Eavor, the geothermal power plant in Gelting will convert the extracted geothermal energy into electrical energy for an estimated 4,900 households.

The project partners Eavor and Enex would like to feed part of the geothermal heat directly into a district heating network at a later date.

The maximum output of the power plant is said to be 8.2 megawatts.

Electricity could be produced for the first time in 2024.

full capacity is expected to be reached in 2026.

According to Eavor Managing Director Daniel Mölk, the entire project, including the expected heat production, can save around 44,000 tons of CO2 per year.

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Also read: No geothermal energy in Königsdorf: AIR geopower is history

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