Lighthouse project threatened to fail

The desired ground pool heat storage in the former Martinsrieder Feld gravel pit would be a flagship project for the energy transition.

Now it is in danger of failing.

The actors pass the buck to each other.

Würmtal

– By autumn 2020, Bernhard Glück Kies-Sand-Hartsteinsplitt GmbH had quarried a total of 700,000 tonnes of gravel on an area of ​​5.84 hectares between Martinsried and Graefelfing.

The municipality of Planegg had the company Glück additionally secure the date set by the district office as the approval authority by which the pit must be backfilled in a private-law contract – reinforced with high fines in the event of delay.

The municipality and the Glück company were satisfied with this;

the company felt able to meet the end-2023 deadline.

Largest project of this kind in Europe

After that, the Greens in Gräfelfing and the Green Group 21 in Planegg propagated the idea of ​​installing an earth tank heat storage tank in the pit.

It would be the largest project of its kind in Europe.

The municipality of Planegg gave in to Gräfelfing's request to put the contract on hold to allow time for a feasibility study.

This is now available and certifies the project's basic feasibility.

Concrete steps have not yet been decided, let alone taken.

At this point, Glück runs out of patience – or, depending on how you read it, it's running out of time.

Managing Director Markus Wahl is willing and has made the preparations to continue backfilling the pit at the beginning of January.

"Although the municipality of Planegg has postponed it, the contractual penalty is still looming, and it affects the substance.

Nobody knows if and when something will come of the project," says Markus Wahl in the Merkur interview.

And he doesn't know how the economy will develop and whether he'll be able to fill the pit quickly enough with excavated earth and rubble.

That's too risky for him.

Motion of the Gräfelfingen Greens

Markus Wahl also does not hide the fact that another reason made it easier for him to decide to continue with the backfilling.

Wahl: “This is a project close to the heart of the Greens.

And I find it difficult to support these people as they try to deprive our company of our livelihood and denigrate us on a daily basis, even with untrue claims.”

The Greens in the Graefelfing municipal council have now submitted the application that Graefelfing should ask Planegg to “repeal the private-law contract very promptly”.

Because: "A backfilling of the pit would mean the failure of a lighthouse project for the energy transition wanted by the Gräfelfing municipal council and already prepared with extensive studies and the additional emissions of approx. 20,000 tons of CO2 per year in the Würmtal."

Gräfelfing's Mayor Peter Köstler shows understanding for all sides.

He says: “I can understand Mr. Wahl's attitude as managing director.

He has an obligation to the shareholders.” And that is in any case to avoid the high contractual penalties.

On the other hand, the Greens have the understandable desire not only to push the threatening sword of Damocles a little further away, but to abolish it completely and have the treaty annulled.

And finally, it is true that the municipality of Planegg has always granted a postponement as requested.

Köstler: "We're all going around in circles a bit.

And it's true: if the hole is closed, the chance is gone."

In principle, the mayor of Gräfelfing is of the opinion that the ground pool heat storage tank project comes too early.

"My priority is to provide the population with renewable energy," he says.

That means digging the borehole for deep geothermal energy as quickly as possible, starting the grid expansion and winning customers.

Köstler: "That's the first step - security of supply." The optimization of CO2 savings through an underground heat storage tank is only a conceivable second step that must not jeopardize the first.

Nafzig indignant

Planegg's mayor gets a bit angry when he talks about the topic.

He says: “They make us a scapegoat here;

that is unacceptable.

Planegg is not responsible if the project does not materialize.

We are not the decision-makers.” What Nafziger is missing are binding statements from the neighboring municipality and the Glück company, what is planned there and when.

Nafziger: "They just have to say what they want, then we'll act.

We don't want to put obstacles in anyone's way.” It was “simply a lie” if the Greens gave the impression that Planegg wanted to prevent something.

“To date, however, nothing has been settled and decided.

That's too high a risk for me;

I have nothing in my hands.” There is nothing wrong with granting more delay or even canceling the contract altogether.

“But we need to know what they actually want.

Do you need this hole now or not?”