Municipal utility to build geothermal plant in Munich

German municipal utility Stadtwerke Muenchen (SWM) is planning to build another geothermal plant in Munich that will supply heat to about 75,000 people.

The plant will be SWM's seventh geothermal project in the region and will be located on the area of the Michaelibad in the southeast of the Bavarian metropolis.

The project was approved by the local construction commission in February. The work on the drilling site and the heating station is scheduled to begin in 2024 with commissioning likely to take place in 2029.

According to SWM, the location is suitable for such a project because of the high thermal potential in the ground and the strong demand for heat in the region. Additionally, the plant will be easily connected to the district heating network, SWM noted.

SWM operates six geothermal plants and a district heating network of about 900 km (559.2 mi). By 2040 at the latest, the municipal utility aims to supply Munich with climate-neutral district heating. To achieve this, SWM relies primarily on deep geothermal energy.

Most recently, the utility completed what it claims to be Germany's largest geothermal plant. The plant entered trial operation in the summer of 2021. Once fully operational, it will supply 80,000 people with heat.

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