Drilling rig on site at Graben-Neudorf, Germany (source: video screenshot/ SWR)“..we’re back at the desk making plans for the second well,” said Roman Link from Deutsche Erdwärme (DEW). Drilling of the second well is planned for summer 2024. This means that the planned commissioning for the combined heat and power plant has also been postponed by one year to 2026.
As DEW Managing Director Herbert Pohl stated, the temperatures over 200 degrees Celsius were well above their expectations. While generally positive news, this discovery has also created some new problems. The project now require high-temperature solutions which will have to be purchased from the U.S.
The work continues
Despite the postponement, the team at DEW continues to make progress. There are plans to reconsider the drilling plan for the second well to target the Muschelkalk formation instead of the deeper Buntsandstein. Water has already been found from the Muschelkalk, and the possibility of tapping into this is under investigation.
Preparations are also being made for the construction of the plant in Dettenheim. However, crucial factors are still unknown, such as the flowrate of thermal water from the Buntsandstein and the Muschelkalk. These will not be determined for a while yet, but Link says that “we have to keeping going.”
Working on public awareness
DEW is diligently working to avoid accusations of lack of transparency about the Graben-Neudorf geothermal project. To this end, the developer offers public consultation hours and is planning a series of lectures on various geothermal topics. To date, the information center has received around 1900 visitors.
There will soon be another citizens’ event with experts from DEW to be joined by representatives from the Mining Authority and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
DEW has extended these efforts even if the local council’s statutes do not require them. Mayor Christian Eheim did not want to change this, as it might set a precedent for similar projects in the future.
