“Seismik GIGA-M” project seeks geothermal expansion in Munich, Germany

Panorama over Munich (source: flickr/ DAVID HOLT, creative commons)

City utility Stadtwerke München (SWM) has launched the “Seismik GIGA-M” that seeks to identify additional areas in Munich, Germany for geothermal development. The project is being executed in partnership with districts and municipalities in the region, as well as a research group from the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The research work will be expected to take three years.

SWM has applied for “permission to explore geothermal energy for scientific purposes” to about 70 cities and municipalities in the greater Munich area. As the project name alludes to, SWM is aiming for large-scale geothermal expansion. Areas being eyed include the Weßling municipality in Starnberg district, as well as Krailling and Gauting in the Fünfseenland region.

The approval of approximately 20 mining rights holders will also be needed for the project. These includes Asto Park Gauting Development Company GmbH and Heizwerk Management GmbH.

The project will involve an initial seismic campaign that seeks to expand the network of existing geothermal energy plants in the entire permit area. The most favorable locations for new geothermal facilities will also be identified. Currently, only a few municipalities and operators maintain power plants, and the corresponding heating networks are typically only limited to municipal boundaries.

According to SWM, many municipalities reman deterred by the high initial investment costs of geothermal. However, if sufficient heat sales via a heating network can be guaranteed, then more municipalities would be encouraged to participate.

In 2022, SWM announced an investment of  EUR 1 billion for the expansion of the capacities of their deep geothermal systems by the early 2030s, with a target of 400 to 450 MW of thermal energy capacity.

Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung