Funding approved for large-scale geothermal survey in Munich, Germany

View over Munich, Germany (source: Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern/ Enerchange)

Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) has approved the funding for the “GIGA-M” research project – a large-scale seismic measurement campaign that seeks to identify additional areas for geothermal development in Munich, Germany. The project can now officially begin and is expected to run for four years.

The Ministy will provide around EUR 11 million of funding for the project which has a total cost close to EUR 20 million.

The project is under the leadership of the Technical University of Munich working closely with the Munich district, Stadtwerke München, the Ebersberg-Munich energy agency, and Energie-Wende Garching. Initial plans for the project were reported back in November 2023.

Harnessing untapped potential in the greater Munich area

There are currently 42 boreholes in the greater Munich area that tap into a deep, Upper Jurassic thermal water reservoir generating a total thermal output of around 400 MW. However, there is estimated to be around 1 GW of remaining potential. Harnessing this potential can provide a large part of the heating and hot water requirement of the greater Munich area, thus paving the way for a regional heating transition.

The GIGA-M seeks to explore the geothermal potential in and around Munich further through a large-scale 3D seismic campaign covering about 1000 square kilometers. New seismic data with then be integrated with existing data to generate a detailed subsurface model of the greater Munich area. This will be the basis for intensive and sustainable management of thermal water resources.

The joint project will also help in coordinating planned measures for the development and use of geothermal in the greater Munich area. Since all geothermal systems are expected to be extracting from the same, connected reservoir, management measures have to be in place to avoid usage conflicts and exploit synergies.

In addition, new development methods are being explored as part of the project. These can include drilling with an extended range to better access deep reservoir areas located several kilometers away from surface facilities. This will allow for more flexible selection of suitable plant locations.

Removing non-technical barriers

GIGA-M also seeks to remove the non-technical barriers to the rapid and consistent expansion of deep geothermal energy. Through this project, network partners can develop common framework conditions and economic implementation models for inter-municipal network projects. Intensive communication throughout the project is intended to ensure that decision-makers in politics, administration, and the public are informed and involved in the process of the large-scale geothermal energy expansion.

Source: Muenchen.de