German Chancellor visits site of Potsdam geothermal project

Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits the site of the Potsdam geothermal project, Germany (source: Stadtwerke Potsdam via Twitter)

Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the construction site of the geothermal project on Heinrich-Mann-Allee in Potsdam, Germany to express support for the project and see its current status. The utility company Energie und Wasser Potsdam (EWP) is now testing the second well for the project which was drilled starting March 2023.

Drilling of the first well to a depth of 2157 meters was completed two weeks before the end of 2022. The results of the first well are encouraging so far, with EWP Director Christiane Preuss stating that they “have encountered rock formation suitable for our purpose.” EWP is now eagerly awaiting the test results from the second well.

Chancellor Scholz was impressed with the project and expressed how geothermal can play a vital role in supplying climate-neutral heat and ensuring energy independence. This event follows the visit of Scholz to Kenya, where he was given a tour of the Olkaria geothermal project of KenGen.

“It is impressive how such a complex project is being implemented by the municipal energy supplier EWP in the middle of Potsdam. This is an important contribution so that we can live and do business in a climate-neutral manner in the future, but also ensure that we become independent of the supply of fossil resources from other countries. So I take a lot of confidence with me from this visit: together we will succeed in the energy transition,” said the Chancellor.

“Both of our wells have been completed. Everything worked well and there were no major problems during the drilling work. The tests are now underway: that means we are investigating, among other things, how much thermal water we can pump up from the depths, at what speed it seeps away again and what temperatures we encounter. On this basis, we can provide information about the future performance of the system in just a few weeks,” updated Eckard Veil, Managing Director of EWP.

EWP is investing around EUR 20 million for the project. There is exceptional risk for the project, as it is the first time to drill for geothermal in the region. Through this project, EWP aims top help the city of Potsdam achieve the target of 95% carbon emission reduction by 2025.

Source: Stadtwerke Potsdam