Test boreholes to be drilled in Berlin, Germany to explore geothermal

View over Berlin, Germany (source: flickr/ Tobias Begemann, creative commons)

Senator for the Environment and Climate Protection, Manja Schreiner, announced that 13 locations have been identified in Berlin, Germany as having good geothermal potential according to geological and technical studies. Three of these sites will be selected for test drilling.

According to Schreiner, forecasts say that “up to 20% of the heat balance is possible via geothermal energy.” This offers a good alternative for conventional heat generation from fossil fuels which supplies 90% of the heat requirement of the city. With this potential, the Senator has decided to focus on developing this resource.

The test drilling program aims to relive the risk that developers bear for geothermal projects. Investments of well over EUR 1 million are needed for test drilling. “But investors still have to spend a lot of money. That’s why we want to support geothermal energy with a funding program,” announced Schreiner. “There should be funding for both private and public companies.

Recently, a research network called the GeoEnergy Alliance Berlin-Brandenburg (GEB²) headed by GFZ Potsdam and Fraunhofer IEG was founded to explore the potential of geothermal resources in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. As one of the first projects of GEB², a position paper “Regional heat supply through geoenergy in Berlin and Brandenburg – recommendations on the need for research” is in the works.

Source: Zeit Online