Today (March 15), Stadtwerke Kiel and the Danish geothermal developer Innargi has agreed to investigate the potential for a geothermal district heating project in Kiel. The purpose of the agreement is to further decarbonize district heating in order to ensure the planned climate neutral heat production of the district heating company in Kiel in 2035.
"The letter of intent signed today is another important step towards making our district heating carbon neutral. We want to investigate whether deep geothermal energy could be a building block in our energy transition program, Kurs Klimaneutralität', in the future," says Dr. Jörg Teupen, Chief of Technology and HR at Stadtwerke Kiel AG.
The agreement which has now been made between Innargi and Stadtwerke Kiel is about investigating the subsurface and thus determining the potential for the development of geothermal district heating in the federal state capital Kiel. Both parties wish the investigation completed before the end of this year. Depending on the results, an agreement involving Innargi building and operating several geothermal heating plants in Kiel can be made.
"If the test results are positive, we can start the production in about five years," Teupen adds.
"I and the entire Innargi-team are delighted about the co-operation agreement with Stadtwerke Kiel. If we want to succeed in transitioning our energy sector, new tools must be used - and geothermal energy can play an important role in the heat supply of the future," says Samir
Abboud, CEO of Innargi. "Together with Stadtwerke Kiel, we are now investigating the potential for geothermal district heating, and I am convinced that in a few years, we will be able to make an important contribution towards the green transition of Kiel's heat supply," Abboud Continues.
Innargi is specialised in the utilisation of geothermal energy for district heating and commands an experienced team of geologists, reservoir-, facility-, and drilling engineers. Additionally, the company builds on partnerships with district heating companies and cities. In the beginning of 2022, Innargi signed a contract about the development and operation of EU's biggest geothermal heating plant in Aarhus, Denmark. Aarhus is a sister city to the federal state capital Kiel.
"The federal state capital Kiel and Stadtwerke Kiel has ambitious goals for climate protection and energy production. Our city must be climate neutral - and as fast as possible. The geothermal project arranged with Innargi has great potential for contributing to a future with carbon-free power and district heating production. I am quite happy with this partnership which also strengthens the co-operation with our sister-city Aarhus," says the Lord Mayor of Kiel Dr. Ulf Kampfer in connection with the signing of the contract.
"The partnership between Kiel and Aarhus has paved the way for an intensive exchange of knowledge and experience in the last four-five years. That is why I am happy that Kiel was inspired by the partnership between Aarhus and Innargi in their utilization of geothermal energy - the clean and carbon neutral energy of the future. We start drilling in Aarhus in June this year and aim at the first plant being fully operational in 2026. It is a complicated planning process which requires an open and honest dialogue with all affected neighbours - who up until now has only given us positive feedback," says Jacob Bundsgaard, mayor in Aarhus, at the press conference.
Deep geothermal energy - renewable energy that is always available
The thermal energy comes from the earth's core. In Kiel, geothermal water with a temperature of up to 76 degrees will be extracted from a two-to-three-kilometres deep production well. On the surface, the water will be heated to the 90 degrees of temperature necessary for the district heating network in Kiel. This is done by high temperature heat pumps. When the heat has been extracted, the cooled geothermal water is pumped back underground through an injection well, and the cycle starts over.
"Deep geothermal energy is currently not included in our plans. But nothing is set in stone. The framework conditions changes constantly, and we continuously investigate all possibilities. Deep geothermal energy is very interesting and could become part of the plan," Teupen concludes.
The plan, Kurs Klimaneutralität, which was decided upon at the end of 2021 is the framework for Stadtwerke Kiel's work with the energy transition. The goal is to produce completely climate neutral power and district heating at the latest in 2035. The utility company has recently advanced this plan with five years from 2040 to 2035. The advancement is made possible by Stadtwerke Kiel's and INNO's mutual goal of rebuilding the 20 big gas motors in the power plant so that they run entirely on green hydrogen.
About Innargi
Innargi was founded in 2017 by A.P. Moller Holding A/S and is today owned by A.P. Moller A/S, ATP, and NRGI. Innargi's mission is to bring geothermal energy into play as a heat source for millions of homes with the expertise from an experienced team of geologists, reservoir-, facility-, and drilling engineers as well as through partnerships with district heating companies.
Press contact:
Stadtwerke Kiel
Sönke Schuster
Pressesprecher
Tel.: +49 431 594 2363
Mobil: +49 170 57 11 450
soenke.schuster@stadtwerke-kiel.de
Innargi
Stephan Ghisler-Solvang
Press secretary
No: +45 61 22 93 92
Mail: stephan.ghisler-solvang@innargi.com
