Concern about the geothermal project: the local council does not want gas to be drilled under Holzkirchen

Created: 12/16/2022, 7:01 am

Can a gas well by an investor jeopardize the multi-million dollar geothermal project in the market town of Holzkirchen?

The council doesn't want to take any chances.

© Thomas Plettenberg

There is a treasure beneath Holzkirchen: Experts suspect 650 million cubic meters of natural gas at a depth of more than 3,500 meters.

However, the municipal council wants to leave this energy untouched, even if Holzkirchen could earn money from gas production.

But not all Council members are opposed to gas drilling.

Holzkirchen

– The gas crisis is far from over.

The situation remains tense, as the Federal Network Agency announced on Wednesday.

A natural gas field, as is suspected to be directly below the center of Holzkirchner, could help in this situation - even if the production would only be a drop in the ocean.

"With the current gas demand, the Holzkirchner deposit could only supply the whole of Bavaria for about a week," illustrated Mayor Christoph Schmid (CSU) in the municipal council.

The Munich company Terrain Energy still wants to pump the gas - not just for a few weeks, but spread over ten to 17 years.

Managing director Marcus Endres proposed a joint venture to the community and offered a ten percent profit share.

Terrain Energy has the mining law permit to tap the Holzkirchner gas field until the end of 2024.

The community could have brought in their know-how from the geothermal drilling and helped to promote the project among the population.

But the community rejects this offer and even more: The gas production is rejected.

Specifically, the town hall fears that natural gas drilling could damage the neighboring geothermal plant, for example due to seismic movements.

In order to dispel these concerns, Terrain Energy presented a safety report – the significance of which, however, is doubted by a report by the municipality.

The earthquake risk is higher than indicated by Terrain Energy.

And should damage occur, it is difficult to prove whether geothermal energy or natural gas are the cause.

It is unclear who is then liable.

From the point of view of the administration, as Schmid put it, the promotion of the gas deposit should therefore be rejected.

Elisabeth Dasch (SPD) agrees.

The community put many millions into geothermal energy.

"We would be called insane if we risked damaging geothermal energy," she said.

In addition, gas is an energy source of the past, added parliamentary colleague Simon Ammer.

Robert Wiechmann (Greens) described it as a "staircase joke" if one were to endanger the sustainable generation of energy from geothermal energy.

Martin Taubenberger (FWG) called on the mayor to "set every lever in motion" to prevent Terrain Energy's project.

Sebastian Franz (CSU) agreed to the rejection round, but at the same time restricted: “One day this could become an issue.”

Only Dirk Kreder (FDP) wanted to look not only at risks, but also at possible advantages.

Ultimately, it is about managing the risks.

"I think there are ways and means," said Kreder.

He referred to a gas field near Groningen (Netherlands), where the state earns a lot from the promotion.

Gas is also a “potential source of income” for Holzkirchen.

In the event of funding, however, all liability issues would also have to be settled for Kreder in advance.

Ultimately, only Kreder was in favor of agreeing to gas production.

Mayor Schmid announced that he would make representations to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and explain the community's position.

He takes the tailwind from the municipal council with him.

However, Terrain Energy has not abandoned the project.

According to Endres, an application for a subsidy permit is prepared directly at the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

After hearing all those responsible for public affairs, the company is hoping for ministerial approval in the spring.

Only then will one take care of suitable drilling sites.

That shouldn't be easy: The previously favored drilling sites, near Marschall and in the Alte Au, are on municipal property.

ANDREAS WOLKENSTEIN

More on this topic can be found here.