Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 24, Drilling of the first well for the Laufzorn II geothermal heating plant in Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany, has been completed. Although the final conditions can only be confirmed once the pump is installed, initial data shows that the well produces thermal water exceeding 100 °C at a discharge rate of 100 liters per second.

Drilling rig at the Laufzorn II geothermal site in Grünwald, Germany

The drilling of the first well was officially launched in May 2025. With this stage completed, the rig will now be moved to the location of the reinjection well, where drilling is scheduled to begin in early November. In total, six boreholes will be drilled for the project. The plant, operated by local utility Erdwärme Grünwald (EWG), is expected to be commissioned by 2028 once construction and system integration are complete.

“We are relieved that the first drilling was so successful. It lays the foundation for heat supply for future generations in Grünwald,” said Andreas Lederle, Managing Director at EWG. His remarks underscored the project’s importance to the municipality’s long-term energy transition goals.

The project initially received EUR 62.3 million in funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economics to support geothermal expansion in Grünwald. However, the overall cost of the Laufzorn II project has increased to around EUR 190 million, mainly due to the addition of two extra boreholes to enhance system capacity and efficiency. As a result, federal support has been raised to EUR 75 million to align with the updated project scope.

Lederle further noted that EWG has already secured around 2,200 customer contracts for connection to the geothermal heating network, representing roughly 70 percent of Grünwald’s potential connection capacity. This progress has been aided by a 40 percent federal subsidy designed to encourage households and businesses to switch to geothermal heating.

EWG currently operates a 120-kilometer-long district heating network in Grünwald, in addition to managing 65 kilometers of existing infrastructure in the neighboring municipality of Unterhaching. The ongoing expansion through the Laufzorn II project aims to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on fossil fuels by expanding the use of locally available geothermal resources.

Upon completion, the Laufzorn II geothermal plant is expected to make a substantial contribution to Grünwald’s renewable heating capacity, serving both residential and commercial users. The successful outcome of the first drilling stage has provided confidence in the project’s technical feasibility and long-term sustainability, marking a significant milestone in Bavaria’s broader efforts to develop clean, stable, and regionally sourced energy systems.