Big changes are happening in Germany’s energy sector. This weekend, it was revealed that a major experiment in cutting-edge geothermal technology is underway in the small German town of Geretsried, south of Munich. Here, on the very site where traditional geothermal technology failed 15 years ago, Canadian company Eavor is launching a pilot project that could change the way we think about what geothermal energy can do.
The history of Geretsried is one of unfulfilled hopes and a new round of technological development. Local residents have long dreamed of switching to environmentally friendly heating and electricity supply, abandoning fossil fuels. However, the first attempt to develop geothermal resources was not successful: drilling did not reveal sufficient reserves of hot water at an acceptable depth. The city had to remain with natural gas.
“We were disappointed, because we had placed great hopes on geothermal energy,” recalls Michael Müller, who headed the city administration for many years.
Now, thanks to cutting-edge technology, Eavor is trying to do what its predecessors failed to do. The company is using techniques borrowed from the oil and gas industry to drill wells much deeper and extract heat from dry, hot rock. It’s a radically new approach that doesn’t require underground water.
It is important to note that the Eavor project in Geretsried is not just a local experiment. It is designed to demonstrate the scalability and versatility of the new technology. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), deep geothermal drilling opens up access to virtually inexhaustible energy reserves available almost anywhere on the planet. Fatih Birol, the head of the IEA, is confident that geothermal energy can play a key role in the global energy sector in the near future.
Construction of a geothermal power plant in Geretsried, Germany.
It is noteworthy that Eavor chose Geretsried as the site for its pilot project precisely because a previous attempt to introduce conventional geothermal technology there had failed. As Eavor CEO John Redfern explains, the failure of its predecessors in Geretsried paves the way for a much more convincing and significant success. The region’s ordinary, unremarkable geology is, in fact, an advantage. The company believes that demonstrating its new technology in Iceland, a country literally “swimming” in geothermal resources, would not have made the desired impression. By contrast, success in Geretsried would be eloquent proof of the versatility and broad applicability of Eavor’s technology.
Germany is actively implementing a strategy for the transition to renewable energy sources, and the project in Geretsried fits perfectly into this strategy. Geothermal energy has become especially relevant since 2022, when difficulties with Russian gas supplies arose. Heating is one of the main sources of CO2 emissions in Germany, so the transition to alternative heat sources is a priority.
Eavor’s technology, called the “Eavor-Loop,” is based on creating a closed-loop water circulation system at great depth. The company drills two wells about 4 kilometers deep and then installs a large network of about 12 horizontal branches, increasing the area of contact with hot rocks. Unlike the hydraulic fracturing method common in the U.S. and other countries, Eavor does not artificially create fractures. Water injected into one well heats up as it passes through the hot rocks and naturally rises to the surface through the other well.
The resulting heat is used both for direct heating (preliminary estimates suggest it will be enough for 36,000 households) and for generating electricity. Hot water is sent to a special installation where it is converted into steam that rotates a generator turbine. This process completely eliminates greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s worth noting that the Geretsried experiment is Eavor’s first commercial project, but the company already has plans to expand. It has a contract to supply heat to Hanover, a major city in northern Germany that is also looking to move away from coal. Eavor is also licensing its technology to other companies and utilities interested in reducing emissions and ensuring energy security. One of Eavor’s major investors is the Japanese utility Chubu Electric Power Company, reflecting the growing interest in geothermal energy around the world. Japan, with its large number of potential but little-explored geothermal sites, is particularly interested.
Mayor Müller emphasizes that the transition to new energy sources is not only a concern for the environment, but also a question of long-term energy security: “We want to ensure a stable future for ourselves, and we need to start today.”
https://overclockers.ru/blog/Fantoci/show/209006/V-nebol-shom-nemeckom-gorodke-nachalis-masshtabnye-ispytaniya-novoj-geotermal-noj-tehnologii