Waste incineration firm in Olching, Germany to drill for geothermal heating

The Joint Municipal Company for Waste Management (Gemeinsames Unternehmen für Abfallwirtschaft / GfA) of the Geiselbullach district of Olching in Bavaria, Germany has been given permission to drill two geothermal wells to supply into its existing district heating network. Preparation of the drilling site is expected to start by June 2025, with the actual drilling to take place between August and December 2025.DDSDASDSA

According to a study already done by GEOS, a water-bearing layer at a depth of around two kilometers has the best potential as host for a potential geothermal resource.

The plans of GfA to explore for geothermal resources was first reported in mid-2023, with CEO Thomas König emphasizing that the project was made possible by a change in the Bavarian climate protection law that allows for district-level renewable energy projects.

The permit to drill was facilitated by the two district councils of Fürstenfeldbruck and Dachau, as well as the establishment of a new subsidiary called “Amperland Thermalwärme GmbH.” Forming a new subsidiary protects the waste-to-energy services of the company from any financial risks from the geothermal project. This is also necessary to allow the firm to submit funding applications.

According to GfA, securing a geothermal energy supply will allow them to flexibly integrate geothermal heat into the existing district heating infrastructure which supplies residential units in the municipalities of Olching and Bergkirchen, as well as companies in industrial parks. The drilling site will be located at the company’s own premises in Geiselbullach.

Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung