Two local utilities to jointly develop Rhine-Palatinate geothermal project in Germany
The local utilities of Speyer and Schifferstadt are planning to jointly develop the Rhine-Palatinate project in the Upper Rhine Graben in Germany.
The two local municipal utilities Stadtwerke Speyer GmbH and Stadtwerke Schifferstadt are planning to cooperate in developing the “Rhine-Palatinate” geothermal project. The area of interest is around 150 square kilometers and includes areas of the city of Speyer, the town of Schifferstadt, and the district of Rhine-Palatinate to the adjacent district of Bad Durkheim.
The State Office for Geology and Mining (LGB) has granted the two municipal utilities an exploration permit for the study area. The Upper Rhine region has been known for its potential for geothermal energy development, as it has already gained the attention of other developers including badenova and Deutsche ErdWärme.
For reference, the expected subsurface temperature gradient in Central Europe is at about four degrees per 100 meters depth. In the Upper Rhine Graben, the temperature gradient can be expected to be about four degrees higher than the average. This is the basis for the Upper Rhine being described as having good conditions for geothermal development for heat and electricity.
A specialist company had already been commissioned to asses the existing seismic data in the Rhine-Palatinate area of interest. The developers are also looking for geologic data in the area, possibly to be purchased from other companies. Based on the assessment, further geology and geophysics exploration may be warranted to collect additional data to determine the potential locations for a geothermal system.
Two public events have been planned for dialogue with the locals relating to the project:
- 9 May 2022, 7pm, Stage-Center, Hasenpfühlerweide 2, 67346 Speyer
- 24 May 2022, 7pm, Paul- von Denis school center (Aula of the Realschule Plus), Neustückweg 2, 67105 Schifferstadt
Source: Wochenblatt-Reporter.de
