Drilling completed for geothermal heating in Polling, Germany

The drilling rig at Hans-Ruhland-Weg 10 in Polling, Bavaria, Germany (source: EWI)

Drilling work has been completed for the geothermal heating project of Erdwärme Inn GmbH & Co. (EWI) in the municipality of Polling in Bavaria, Germany. The project will now progress to the construction of the new energy center to supply 30 MW of thermal energy to the two greenhouses in Weiding and Tüßling, as well as the towns in the region, such as Polling, Tüßling and Mühldorf am Inn.

Drilling in Polling officially started in March 2024 and the first well (TVD = 2700 meters, MD=3700 meters) was completed in June 2024. During this time, state officials visited the drilling site at Hans-Ruhland-Weg 10 to express their support for the project and emphasize the important role of geothermal energy in securing a stable and sustainable energy supply.

Over 50 companies from the region, but also from many European countries, were involved in the construction and drilling work for the geothermal project. The project was made possible by the funding of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA), which is contributing part of the investment costs.

“The project in Polling is a perfect example of how a private initiative with federal funding can be implemented for the benefit of several municipalities without the Free State and municipalities having to take risks,” said Bernhard Gubo, who has been working in Bavarian geothermal energy for over 15 years as a co-initiator of the project.

“In my opinion, the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy and the Southern Bavaria Mining Authority are ideally positioned to develop geothermal energy into one of the most important energy sources for Bavaria,” Gubo further added.

Stif Hurmuz, technical manager of the project, stated that contracts for the construction of the new energy centre and district heating lines will be awarded in the coming days. The necessary building permits for these have already been obtained.

Source: TiefeGeothermie and EWI