“OMV brings many years of experience and expertise in exploration and production to this partnership, in addition to our unique knowledge of the geology of the Vienna Basin. Here, in the cradle of OMV, we are launching our sustainable district heating project for Vienna. We look forward to working together with Wien Energie,” says Alfred Stern, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of OMV.
As one of Austria’s largest listed industrial companies and a global energy and chemicals group, OMV has decades of experience in the fields of geology and geophysics, as well as drilling and production technology. OMV has unique knowledge of the existing geological formations in the Weinviertel region, which will benefit the joint venture.
Together with other partners, OMV and Wien Energie have also already explored and proven the geothermal potential in the eastern Vienna Basin as part of the “GeoTief Wien” research project.
With the joint venture “deeep”, Wien Energie and OMV are working together to decarbonize district heating in Vienna. Peter Weinelt, designated CEO of Wiener Stadtwerke, is convinced that the switch to sustainable sources is crucial to the success of the heating transition: “District heating is a key component of climate-neutral heating supply in Vienna. We have the clear goal of generating climate-neutral district heating by 2040 and deep geothermal energy plays a key role in this. This joint venture means that we are well equipped for this task.”
Wien Energie operates numerous heat-generation plants and one of the largest district-heating networks in Europe and aims to make the generation of district heating completely climate-neutral by 2040.
Aspern as first joint geothermal project
The first deep geothermal plant announced by Wien Energie in the area of Aspern is the first major project to be realized together by the partners in the joint venture. The plant will generate up to 20 MW of climate-neutral district heating – in combination with heat pumps from Wien Energie. The aim is to supply up to 20,000 Viennese households with district heating from this plant.
Approval procedures are currently underway and drilling is due to start towards the end of 2024. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2027. Making the project part of the joint venture allows the partners to glean valuable insights and data for follow-up projects, enabling Wien Energie and OMV to realize the further expansion of geothermal energy in Vienna more quickly and efficiently.
3D model of Vienna subsurface highlighting the Aderklaa conglomerate (source: GeoTief Wien)
Expansion of deep geothermal energy
For OMV and Wien Energie, the “deeep” joint venture is the basis for the comprehensive expansion of deep geothermal energy in Vienna. The partners plan to jointly implement up to seven deep geothermal plants in the districts of Donaustadt and Simmering in joint drilling programs. The timetable for implementation and the output of the plants will depend on the learnings from the pilot plant in Aspern.
A drilling program involves planning and realizing several boreholes and plant locations in parallel. The advantage here is that the resources required for drilling and construction work can be utilized even more efficiently and synergies can be exploited when realizing the plants. Wien Energie and OMV are already starting to design the first drilling program as part of the joint venture.
As soon as the drilling for the first facility in Aspern has been completed, the planning can be finalized and implemented on the basis of this experience. The joint investment in the planning of these deep geothermal projects amounts to around EUR 20 million.
