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Utilization of medium-deep geothermal reservoirs in the North German Basin: Feasibility from a geological, technical and socio-economic perspective

Extracting heat from medium-deep hydrothermal reservoirs for municipal heat supply requires adequate reservoir characteristics, suitable extraction techniques, a sufficiently high heat demand and appropriate heat supply infrastructure. Furthermore, the acceptance of local stakeholders and consumers, as well as financial feasibility are crucial factors for the successful implementation of geothermal heat projects.

In the North German Basin (NDB) in particular, there are several deep geothermal projects that have been planned over the years but have never been completed, mostly due to the high exploration and financial risks at the beginning of the project. Some municipalities have already taken the initiative to restart projects.

The aim of this work is to provide technical support for local stakeholders to enable them to initiate and successfully implement hydrothermal projects.

In a first step, the authors identify aborted geothermal projects in NDB located in geologically well explored regions. Based on related feasibility studies, literature reviews and expert interviews, common constraints and challenges are discussed from geological, technical, social and economic perspectives.

Secondly, a number of selected projects are analysed in more detail. Alternative operating scenarios are developed and the positive impact of new technological developments such as high capacity heat pumps is examined.

Finally, the results will be generalised in order to derive recommendations for interested local stakeholders.

The work is part of the Warm-Up project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

Details

Author
Evelin Pechan1, Tidian Baerens2, Lucas Holl1, Lars Holstenkamp3, Stefanie Krug1, Simone Röhling1, Julika Weiß2, Jasmaria Wojatschke1
Institutionen
1Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Ressources (BGR), Germany; 2Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW), Germany; 3ECOLOG Institute for Social-Ecological Research and Education GmbH (non-profit), Germany
Veranstaltung
GeoSaxonia 2024
Datum
2024
DOI
10.48380/qrg9-cw11