Trostberg, Germany in early stages of planning geothermal district heating project

A geothermal heating project in the city of Trostberg in Bavaria, Germany is in the early stages of planning and implementation. If all goes to plan, Trostberg and its surrounding areas will be supplied by geothermal heating starting 2029.

The details of the project were recently presented by utility company Erdwärme Alz GmbH during a public information event. As stated during the event, Geothermie Trostberg plans to harness geothermal energy using a total of four deep boreholes. The site for the planned geothermal heating plant is located near the hamlet of Fernhub, approximately four kilometers south of the town of Trostberg and one kilometer east of Altenmarkt an der Alz. Erdwärme Alz GmbH  will developing and financing the entire geothermal plant.

According to the plans presented by experts, construction of the drilling site is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. The drilling itself is expected to commence by mid-2027. The supply of heat to households and businesses from deep geothermal energy may then begin by autumn of 2029, provided the district heating pipelines are completed by then. When implemented, the system will provide annual savings of more than 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Project manager Michael Braun also emphasized that Trostberg is an ideal site for geothermal development given its proximity to the successful combined heat and power geothermal plant in Traunreut, which has been operating since 2016, as reported by ThinkGeoEnergy.

The expected 50 MW thermal capacity of the Trostberg geothermal heating plant will be enough cover the heating needs of Trostberg as well as other town and municipalities in the surrounding regions. This is possible as Trostberg is part of the Chiemgau Rupertiwinkel Regional Heating Network, which currently comprises 31 towns and municipalities from the districts of Berchtesgadener Land, Traunstein, Altötting und Rosenheim.

Erdwärme Alz GmbH  has already commissioned all necessary expert reports in preparation for submitting the main operational plan to secure permitting. The reports were prepared by reputable engineering firms and encompass important topics such as environmental and species protection, the geological feasibility of the project, and noise abatement during the drilling phase.

Addressing concerns from the public

The information event also provided an avenue for the developer to hear and address the concerns of the general public about the project. While the developer bears the financial risk of the project, the concerns from the public mostly focuses on the risk of groundwater contamination and earthquakes (a sentiment echoed by a recent study done by the CATF on public perceptions of geothermal). The members of the audience were also concerned about the district heating network being monopolized, and what this would mean when it comes to prices and connectivity options.

In response to these concerns, the project developers point to strict legal regulations and experience from over 100 deep geothermal drilling projects in Bavaria, where, according to them, no groundwater contamination has occurred.

Source: BR24 and Stadt Trostberg