Geothermal power plant in Garching an er Alz, Germany to supply heating network by 2028
The geothermal plant in Garching an der Alz, Germany, which has been producing electricity since 2021, will soon also supply the district heating network.
The geothermal plant of Silenos Energy in Garching an der Alz, Germany, which so far has only produced electricity, will also start supplying heat to the local heating network by 2028. Construction on the district heating network is expected to start by mid-2027.
The planned Garching district heating network will be built by Energie-Genossenschaft Inn-Salzach eG (EGIS eG) and GP JOULE under the company Fernwärme Garching GmbH & Co. KG. It will consist of a central heating plant, a distribution network, and transfer stations in the connected buildings. There is also provision for a peak load boiler and a redundant boiler to ensure reliable heating supply in seasons of peak demand. The goal is to gradually connect the entire municipality to the network.
The geothermal plant in Garching an der Alz officially started operations in early 2021 with a power generation capacity of 5.2 MWe and a thermal capacity of 7 MWth. Drilling of the wells for this project started in 2018, eventually hitting the Malm formation at 3832 meters depth where thermal waters at 125 °C were encountered.
The details of the project were communication to the local community at a recent information event held by Fernwärme Garching, where 450 residents attended. Pascal Lang, Managing Director of Fernwärme Garching, and Sebastian Weingarten, Customer Advisor from GP JOULE, were at the event to provide information about the project and the next steps
The company is also offering free, no-obligation consultations for other residents who would like to know more about the project. Moreover, an office for general questions about district heating will be opened the the Garching town hall.
“This is how the heat transition succeeds,” says Anja Arnold, project developer at GP JOULE: “With our cooperation, we are making locally available potential usable to supply the people on site with heat – with economic and ecological advantages for all those involved in the municipality of Garching an der Alz.”
Source: Tiefe Geothermie and GP JOULE