Innovative deep geothermal technology being tested

08.01.2026

Source: E & M powernews

North of Berlin, the company Green Therma and the GFZ Helmholtz Center for Geosciences are testing a new deep geothermal technology.

The geothermal demonstration project "Heat4Ever Test Project" has started north of Berlin. The company Green Therma and the Helmholtz Center for Geosciences (GFZ Potsdam) want to test a new deep geothermal process in practice. As Green Therma announced on January 7, the first installation of the "DualVac vacuum tube process" - a proprietary development of the Danish geothermal company - will take place at this location.

According to Green Therma, this new vacuum pipe process is designed to transport heat from a depth of more than three kilometers with minimal heat loss. This is the first time that continuous vacuum insulation - which is also used in industrial applications - has been used in a coaxial geothermal system with just one borehole. If the technology proves successful, it could significantly increase the efficiency of deep geothermal systems and open up renewable heat sources in locations that were previously considered too difficult or too costly, the project partners hope.

European initiative

The test phase at the GFZ Potsdam geothermal research platform in Groß Schönebeck is scheduled to last one year. In particular, the performance of the newly developed "DualVac insulation" is to be tested. The system is intended to reach depths of over three kilometers, where temperatures exceed 100 degrees Celsius. According to the project partners, if the system proves successful, it could significantly lower the hurdles for the use of deep geothermal energy in cities, industrial areas and cold climate zones.

For the GFZ Potsdam, the project is an example of how research infrastructures can drive forward the energy transition in practice. "Close cooperation between industry and research is essential for the development of next-generation geothermal solutions," said Professor Ingo Sass, Head of the Geoenergy Section at GFZ Potsdam. It also provides new insights for the further development of the research location.

The collaboration is part of the European "TRANSGEO Initiative", which brings together partners from five European countries to research how existing boreholes can be used for the extraction and storage of geothermal heat.

Author: Heidi Roider