The Nuremberg News recently published a detailed article promoting Eavor’s project in Geretsried in hopes that narrating the success might inspire similar future projects in Nuremberg.
The article opened by explaining the current state of geothermal energy in Germany, which is limited to conventional residential buildings and only goes to a depth of 100 metres. In comparison, Eavor’s system drills 4,500 meters down, and it networks 260 kilometres of wellbore into a closed-loop system.
With the anticipated completion by mid-2024, this technology will supply districts within Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen with clean heat and clean electricity.
The article also highlighted a key advantage to using an Eavor-Loop,™ which is the benefit of minimal maintenance. Once water begins cycling through the loops, there is no need to use a pump to facilitate the water’s motion.
To put it simply, Eavor’s technology acts as a reverse radiator, extracting heat from hot rock to bring energy to the surface. It achieves this by taking advantage of thermodynamic principles and pressure differences. Due to its density, cold water sinks down the wellbores and absorbs heat from deep bedrock, and when the water heats up, the less dense water rises up the wells to the power plant.
“This project is intended to serve as a pioneer for a massive expansion of deep geothermal energy in Germany and Europe, with the potential to make a significant contribution to energy security and climate neutrality.” said Daniel Mölk, Managing Director of Eavor Erdwärme Geretsried GmbH.
The project has already gained attention from government officials, such as Bavaria‘s Minister of the Environment Thorsten Glauber and Florian Streibl, Chairman of the Freie Wähler faction in the Bavarian State Parliament. Glauber and Streibl were delighted that Eavor chose Bavaria to build a commercial geothermal power plant, so they visited Geretsried last March to learn more about the technology.
“I have always been committed to strengthening all eco-energies. We want to move away from fossil fuels toward renewable energies. In doing so, we also want to use heat from the depths. We want to access this treasure to supply energy,” said Glauber.
Germany’s strive to incorporate renewable energy sources into its grid has been heightened due to geopolitical tensions with Russia. According to DW News, energy prices skyrocketed throughout the country in recent months and many German homes had to turn down their heat to avoid federally mandated rationing.
Providing reliable and affordable sources of clean energy to German communities is more important than ever before. To provide a true alternative to fossil fuels, Eavor understands that reliable baseload and dispatchability is crucial. Eavor-Loops™ can generate industrial-scale electricity or produce enough heat for the equivalent of 16,000 homes with a single installation.
