The deep geothermal plant at Heinrich-Mann-Allee is the first facility of its kind in Potsdam and a key component of the city's transition to climate-neutral heat supply. Two production wells, each approximately 2,000 metres deep, extract warm thermal water from underground. Its heat is transferred via heat exchangers and large-scale heat pumps, making it available for the district heating network. After the heat has been extracted, the cooled thermal water is reinjected into the reservoir through a dedicated reinjection well. With a thermal output of more than 4 MW, the plant supplies the Heinrich-Mann-Allee district as well as the Potsdam district heating network, replacing a portion of the heat previously generated from fossil fuels.
Dates
Meeting Point
One of Brandenburg's most significant deep geothermal projects is currently under construction at the HKW Süd site. During the technical tour, participants will gain exclusive insights into the ongoing drilling operations, the technical aspects of deep geothermal energy, and the future use of geothermal heat for Potsdam's climate-friendly district heating supply. The guided visit includes access to the drilling site and provides information on project planning, permitting, drilling technology, and plant operation.
Dates
Meeting Point
Transfer from the Kongresshotel Potsdam, Address: Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam-Westliche Vorstadt
Stop 1 (9.00 am – 10.30 am)
Potsdam on the path to geothermal heating (EWP)
Field trip to the Heizkraftwerk Süd (HKW Süd) site – deep geothermal project
One of Brandenburg’s most significant deep geothermal projects is under development at the HKW Süd site. During the field trip, participants will gain an insight into the ongoing drilling work, the technical aspects of deep geothermal energy, and the future use of geothermal heat for Potsdam’s climate-friendly district heating supply. The guided tour will include a visit to the borehole and provide information on planning, planning permission, drilling techniques and plant operations.
Stop 2 (11.00 am – 12.30 am)
Tour of the BTB Adlershof combined heat and power plant; BTB’s GeoSpeicherBerlin real-world laboratory
As part of the GeoSpeicherBerlin real-world laboratory project, a high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES) system is being constructed and integrated into BTB’s existing district heating network via a large-scale heat pump system. BTB’s district heating network already supplies around 60 per cent of south-east Berlin’s heat from combined heat and power plants. To further reduce the use of fossil fuels, the plan is to store summer heat from a biomass combined heat and power plant in an aquifer and use it in winter. If successful, ‘GeoSpeicherBerlin’, with a heat capacity of over 30,000 MWh, will become Germany’s largest heat storage facility and, by replacing heat generated from hard coal, will enable CO₂ savings of approximately 10,000 tonnes per year. An overview will be provided of the current status of planning for both the underground and surface construction of the plant, as well as the integration work.
Stop 3 (2.00 pm – 3.00 pm)
Tour of the GFZ Groß Schönebeck Geothermal Research Platform
At the Groß Schönebeck research site, a natural gas exploration well dating from the 1990s was re-opened and deepened in 2001 and, together with a second well in 2007, developed into a research platform for the development of sustainable geothermal technologies. The research findings have made a significant contribution to establishing the scientific foundations and technological standards for the sustainable development of low-permeability geothermal reservoirs and have paved the way for the transfer of research findings into commercial application. In collaboration with the Danish company Green Therma, a newly developed, continuously monitored, vacuum-insulated dual tubing system (DualVac™) designed for the development of closed-loop systems has been installed and is currently under evaluation.
Date
Meeting Point
Transfer from the Kongresshotel Potsdam, Address: Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam-Westliche Vorstadt
On the return journey, there will be an additional stop at a station in Berlin.
