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Regional study of geothermal potential initiated in western Germany

A new study analyzing the geothermal potential of two German cities is underway as part of a state resolution to advance the renewable heat transition.

Dusseldorf and Duisburg, located not far from the western German border, have undergone seismic and gravimetric surveys over the past year, which will contribute to an ongoing analysis being conducted under the inter-municipal project “Geothermie-Rhein.”

Prominent green energy news source ThinkGeoEnergy.com reported details of the study, which is aimed at finding subsurface aquifers fit for geothermal production underneath the two cities.

The study will be overseen by local power utility providers Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG and Stadtwerke Duisburg AG, as well as the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems, the Düsseldorf Airport, and the University of Duisburg-Essen.

In addition to physical surveys, the study will also include an economic and technical analysis of expanding existing district heating networks in the area for a comprehensive look at the cost and benefits of geothermal expansion.

To read the full article by ThinkGeoEnergy, click here.

Efforts to advance geothermal energy in the region were initially reported by ThinkGeoEnergy in 2021, after three regions were selected as winners of a state-sponsored “Heat from deep geothermal energy for North Rhine-Westphalia” contest in 2021.

The cities of Dusseldorf and Duisburg both have extensive district heating networks currently powered by fossil fuels. Transitioning these networks to geothermal would put the country one step closer to its goals of reaching net zero by 2045 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by the end of the decade.

News of the study signals significant momentum for geothermal energy in Germany, which is currently home to more than 30 operational geothermal power plants. Eavor’s first commercial-scale project in Geretsried, Bavaria, is another example of industry momentum. The site was recently visited by state politicians, who expressed enthusiastic support for the project and potential district heating network expansion.

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