Signing ceremony between Innargi and Stadtwerke Kiel (source: AP Moller Holding via Linkedin)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.
“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,” said Dr. Jörg Teupen, Chief of Technology and HR at Stadtwerke Kiel AG.
“If the test results are positive, we can start the production in about five years,” added Teupen.
“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,” said 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.”
In Kiel, geothermal water with a temperature of up to 76 degrees will be extracted from a wo-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,” commented Teupen,
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.
Earlier this year, Innargi signed a letter of intent to explore geothermal district heating in the city of Poznan in Poland. This was the first project of Innargi outside Denmark.
