The first phase of the geothermal district heating network in the the municipality of Rech in the Ahr Valley in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany has officially commenced operations. The network is now serving 36 households drawing from near-surface geothermal energy for heating, resulting in annual reduction of 676 tons of CO2 emissions.
The decision to implement a local heating network was made following the devastating flood of 2021 which caused numerous deaths and property damage to regions of Rhineland-Palatinate. Construction of the heating network began in 2022 with the involvement of the Rhineland-Palatinate Energy Agency in close collaboration with Zukunft Mittelahr AöR and supported by many volunteers.
The long-term plan is to expand the network to cover over 100 households by 2035 and save over 1000 tons of CO2 of per year. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate is supporting the project with funding of up to EUR 1.8 million. Other municipalities in the Ahr Valley also rely on climate-friendly local heating, including Dernau, Mayschoß, and Hönningen.
Source: Energy Agency of Rhineland-Palatinate and Bundesverband Geothermie
