Geothermal association wants turbo instead of acceleration

16.07.2024

The geothermal industry sees itself on the upswing thanks to announced legislative changes. However, the federal association is calling for improvements in order to realize large-scale projects within three years.

Geothermal energy projects are getting a boost from an amendment to the law that is currently in progress. The German Geothermal Energy Association (BVG) is convinced of this in view of the draft bill presented on June 27 for an "Act to accelerate approval procedures for geothermal plants, heat pumps and heat storage facilities (GeoWG) and other legal framework conditions".

Until now, deep drilling has touched on many different legal spheres (e.g. mining law) and areas of responsibility of different authorities. Now the Federal Government is creating a "parent law on geothermal energy" and is receiving praise from the BVG because it also gives heat from the earth the status of being of paramount public interest. Association Managing Director Gregor Dilger sees this alone as a "major milestone". In the case of wind and solar energy, for example, this upgrade has simplified approval procedures and increased the pace of expansion.

Speaking to a media panel, Dilger emphasized that the amendment to the law would act as an accelerator for municipal utilities, private energy suppliers and industrial companies involved in geothermal energy. "With our amendments, it would even be possible to ignite a turbo for geothermal energy," said the BVG Managing Director.

Privilege in outdoor areas

An additional demand to the federal government is to grant geothermal energy projects a privileged status in outdoor areas via the building code (Section 35). Association President Karin Thelen is convinced that the more complex deep geothermal energy (from a depth of 400 meters) in particular could benefit from this passage. Some of these projects currently have to wait up to ten years for completion. "What is being planned today may not be ready until 2034. That is far too long for us," she said from the perspective of Stadtwerke München, for whom she is also driving forward geothermal energy as Managing Director of the regional energy transition.

Ideally, geothermal projects such as district heating plants and power stations could be realized within two to three years, according to Karin Thelen. This is because the privileged status would make it easier for companies to carry out seismic surveys and drilling and construct geothermal plants, even in confined spaces in urban areas. In general, it should be easier to carry out seismic measurements on public land. There should be a right to tolerate the laying of district heating pipelines in order to promote the expansion and use of deep geothermal energy in the district heating system.

An example from Stadtwerke München in Michaelibad shows that it works. The supplier is active there while the baths are open, drilling eight boreholes at a distance of 100 meters from residential buildings. And the required drilling cellar, which has to be created at the drilling point for flushing, cement suspensions and safety equipment, is sunk three meters below the surface. "We are working there in an area-saving manner because we are restoring the sunbathing lawn above the drilling cellar and it will remain usable for the pool," says Thelen.

Even faster in line with municipal heat planning

The GeoWG provides important cornerstones for approval procedures, such as deadlines to be met by authorities, the digitalization of approval applications and the possibility of starting projects ahead of schedule. Further changes to mining, water and nature conservation law have also been applauded by the association.

However, the BVG is submitting further proposed amendments to the parliamentary consultation process. For example, it suggests that the GeoWG should also designate acceleration zones for deep geothermal energy in accordance with the RED III Renewable Energy Directive. This would render an environmental impact (pre-)assessment and a species protection assessment obsolete if renewable heat plants or grids are already planned in the area. Gregor Dilger is pinning his hopes on the municipal heating plans, which must be completed by 2028, and their specifications.

The association would like to see further simplifications for near-surface geothermal energy. According to Dilger, it is incomprehensible that the Atomic Energy Act is still being taken into account and leading to delays. Currently, for every borehole drilled in an area of 100 meters or more, it is also necessary to check whether the area is suitable for a nuclear waste repository. This obligation makes no sense at all for conurbations or residential areas. The BVG is also working towards an amendment to the GeoWG that would remove the previously required mining permits for facilities up to 400 meters. "This would relieve the burden on authorities and streamline procedures," says the Managing Director.

In any case, approval procedures would be better handled by a single authority in future instead of entrusting mining, water, construction and immission control authorities separately. Further simplifications would be possible if the law also included cooling with groundwater or geothermal energy. After all, the use of groundwater for cooling is becoming increasingly important.

Source: Energy & Management Powernews
Author: Volker Stephan