Wedoany.com Report-Mar 20, Stadtwerke Kaiserslautern (SWK), the utility company of the city of Kaiserslautern in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, has officially announced the “Palatinate Heat / Pfälzer Wärme” project, which aims to tap into the geothermal resources of Kaiserslautern for district heating.

The Lutrina exploration field in Kaiserslautern, Germany

The project was presented during the 14th Lauter Energy Forum, “Heat of the Future – Potential of Deep Geothermal Energy.” With this, SWK takes a step towards it goal of achieving 100% renewable energy generation by 2040.

“We are pleased that, after intensive preparation, we have reached an important milestone,” said SWK board member Dr. Arvid Blume.

“The use of virtually inexhaustible and continuously available geothermal energy is particularly interesting for municipal heat planning,” added Manfred Schulz, Mayor of Kaiserslautern.

The Kaiserslautern area is believed to have potential for hydrothermal geothermal energy. However, there are not many reference projects in this region. Based on existing knowledge, the potential target for exploitation would be the Rotliegend, a sandstone layer at approximately 2300 to 3300 meters depth. Initial assessment suggests that deep water with temperatures of around 100 °C can be found.

SWK still needs to secure the necessary permits, but seismic exploration of the study site is scheduled to begin by the fall of this year. 3D seismic measurements will be done throughout the 143-km2 Lutrina exploration area that encompasses the southwestern part of Kaiserslautern. This area covers most of the districts of Kaiserslautern and several neighboring municipalities including Mackenbach, Weilerbach, Rodenbach, Otterbach, Otterberg, Ramstein-Miesenbach, Landstuhl, Kindsbach, and Bann.

If the results of the investigations are positive, then SWK plans to build a geothermal plant and eventually supply environment-friendly and fuel-independent heat for the district heating network.

The company also holds the license for the Kasimir concessions field to the northwest. There are no concrete plans for Kasimir yet, as work has already began on Lutrina. It is nevertheless an area of interest for SWK, notably as there is also interest in the site from private-sector project developers.