| Title | Deep Geothermal Utilization in Bavaria: Insights from the Geothermal Alliance Bavaria Project |
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| Authors | Medgyesi, N., Sidorova, A., Uth, F., Hamacher, T. |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | Deep geothermal energy production in Bavaria has a history of almost 30 years. During this time, numerous research questions have emerged from the operating plants tapping into the Upper Jurassic Malm carbonate formation within the Molasse Basin in southern Bavaria, Germany. Since 2016, the Geothermal Alliance Bavaria (GAB) joint research project has been providing scientific support for the expansion of geothermal energy and addressing issues that could delay project development. The research focuses on the interdisciplinary optimization of the subsurface and surface systems to increase the share of deep geothermal in district heating systems. As of 2025, there are 25 plants in operation in the region, six under construction, and 36 in early development. This rapid growth raises the concern of interaction between neighboring wells. In response, the current project focuses on the development of decision-support models for licensing authorities, in order to assess temperature and stress alteration in the reservoir for predicting long-term risks of thermal decline and induced seismicity. Despite the growing number of geothermal licenses in Bavaria, deep geothermal use remains concentrated in the southern, deeper parts of the Malm reservoir. However, the urgent demand for renewable heating in other regions highlights the need to explore alternative reservoirs. Current GAB research focuses on EGS concepts for the crystalline basement, as well as the potential of medium-depth sandstones combined with large-scale heat pumps or used as aquifer thermal storage. This contribution presents an overview of ongoing research and its relevance for the future of geothermal heating in Bavaria. |