Praxisforum event to discuss geothermal in context of new German framework

Experts from science, industry, operators, finance, and politics will once again be coming together at the Bürgerhaus Pullach near Munich, Germany for the Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern on 16-18 October 2024. The event will provide a platform for discussion and information exchange on how geothermal projects can be optimally implemented, particularly in the context of the improved framework conditions in Germany.

Click here to register for the 2024 Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern.

Geothermal as key component for Germany’s energy transition

The potential of geothermal energy in Germany is enormous. According to researchers, geothermal energy could supply up to a third of the country’s total energy needs. However, only a fraction of this is currently being exploited.

Under the new conditions, geothermal energy can now take off as a key technology in the heat transition. With the Federal Government launching the Geothermal Energy Acceleration Act a few weeks ago, the Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern becomes an event of particular importance.

“Germany has set a target of achieving climate neutrality for half of the country’s heat demand by 2030, and 100% sustainable heating by 2045. However, these goals are unlikely to be achieved without geothermal energy as a central pillar of municipal heat planning. Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern has therefore set itself the task of showing all investors and especially municipalities how geothermal energy projects can be optimally implemented,” says organizer Dr. Jochen Schneider.

Geothermal energy: A sustainable and secure energy source for the region

The advantages of geothermal energy are as obvious as they are convincing – it is environmentally friendly, inexhaustible and offers a secure supply for the entire region. However, until the Earth’s natural heat can be used permanently as a sustainable energy source, a great deal of effort is required, which in the past often seemed daunting.

“The new, improved framework conditions are really waking up geothermal energy,” says Jochen Schneider. All of the main speakers at the conference on Thursday, October 17th, have one thing in common: they all make it clear that the key challenges in implementing a geothermal plant can be overcome much better than before.

“We are on the verge of a major breakthrough in the heat transition and will demonstrate this very clearly at the Praxisforum,” says Schneider.

Improved protection and financing as the key to success

The biggest risk in geothermal projects to date is that the search for hot thermal water does not produce the desired results.

To kick off the Geothermal Bavaria Practice Forum, Andreas Ronge from the federal development bank KfW and Matthias Tönnis from the reinsurer Munich RE will therefore focus on improving the protection of exploration risks and the overall financing of deep geothermal drilling.

Alexander Rettenberger from the Southern Bavaria Mining Authority will then report on the possibilities for accelerating the process in practice. And to conclude the keynote speakers, Helmut Mangold from the local energy supplier Innovative Energy for Pullach (IEP) will show how deep geothermal energy works economically.

Main topics: exploration, supply networks, drilling & cooperation

Afterwards, the Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern will focus on the main topics of drilling challenges, exploration, and supply networks during the forum “Interaction between industry, commerce and municipalities for sustainable energy supply”.

As has been shown in practice, in addition to the high initial investment, profitability in months with low heat demand is also a key challenge. Cooperation with industrial and commercial companies, which usually have a higher and constant annual heat demand than residential areas, offers a decisive advantage here.

Numerous examples in Bavaria and beyond already demonstrate the effectiveness of such partnerships. In the northwest of Munich, for example, GfA, an industrial company for waste disposal in the districts of Fürstenfeldbruck and Dachau, is planning to use geothermal energy to secure the existing district heating supply of the neighboring communities. And in Rhineland-Palatinate there is also an example of cooperation between local industry and the municipality: Daimler Truck, the utility company EnBW and the city of Wörth want to develop and use the heat together.

Practical visits: The GeoTHOUR

As part of the Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern, such showcase examples will not only be presented, but will also be visited at the end on Friday, October 18.

The so-called “GeoTHOUR” will lead to a fruit and vegetable farmer in Polling (Mühldorf district), who will also supply several municipalities with his geothermal plant, as well as to Kirchweidach (Altötting district), where a similar cooperation already exists between the municipality and the local vegetable farm.

The Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern will open on Wednesday, October 16, with a career forum for students. Here, they will have the opportunity to gain insights into the technology and come into direct contact with interesting employers. There will also be two workshops on the topics of “seismicity” and “acceptance” on Wednesday, October 16.