Comment:Visions | Geothermal-energy

Geothermal Energy

Programme: A Tale of Energy Independence

September 1, 2009 in Geothermal Energy

Unterhaching is a town of around 25,000 people a few kilometers south of Munich, Germany. In most respects it is typical of small towns in Europe, except for one thing, it has built and now operates its own power generating station using hot water from deep within the Earth’s crust.

The idea first arose in the 1990’s and over the following decade the town secured the venture capital and the engineering resources to drill down three-and-a half kilometers to tap into a permeable limestone layer containing hot water. The drilling was successful and a pump house was built – in effect, a mini power station – where the thermal water is used to generate 3.4 megawatts of electricity a year.

The Geothermie Unterhaching project provides a perpetual sources of energy that is virtually free of greenhouse gas emissions – entirely owned and operated by the town.

Discussion: Should local communities be encouraged to develop their own sustainable solutions, such as geothermal energy, to power generation?