On the grounds of the waste-to-energy plant, specialists are conducting deep drilling aimed at accessing a renewable heat source more than two kilometers underground. Currently, the drill has passed the 1,780-meter mark, and the target depth of 2,100 meters is drawing closer. According to geological forecasts, engineers expect to find thermal water at a temperature of 73 degrees at this level, which will form the basis for the region’s district heating system.
Round-the-clock watch at a depth of two kilometers
Work in Geiselbullach near Olching has not ceased for a single minute since February 7. On the 5,000-square-meter construction site, centered around a 37-meter drilling rig, specialists and geologists work in shifts seven days a week. Due to the team’s international composition, English has been chosen as the working language on-site. The process is managed by Dr. Thomas König, Managing Director of Amperland Thermalwärme GmbH (a subsidiary of GfA), who remains constantly available to handle operational tasks.
Technical Director of GfA, Paul Rossmeisl, characterized the project as complex but professionally inspiring, calling it an engineer’s dream. According to him, managing such a process is comparable to assembling a giant construction set, where every detail and every meter of progress is crucial for overall success. Strict safety rules and restricted access to the territory emphasize the complexity and high significance of the ongoing work.
Final stage and geological forecasts
The speed of progress into the layers varies significantly—from one to 20 meters per day—and depends directly on the density and composition of the soil encountered. Current samples and calculations obtained during drilling confirm preliminary data that reserves of water at the required temperature are indeed located in the area between Günding and Feldgeding. Although all modeling has its limits, the project participants’ confidence in the successful completion of the work by the end of March grows with every meter passed.
The 20-million-euro project has a multi-level protection system against financial losses. The state covers 40 percent of the exploration costs, and insurance is provided in case of a lack of the expected result, which fully or partially compensates for the investment. Thomas König emphasized that there are no direct risks for the districts of Dachau and Fürstenfeldbruck, as GfA possesses sufficient capital to implement the initiative.
Creating a closed energy cycle
Plans for the near future include starting the drilling of a second, operational well in April. It will be located just eight meters from the first. The technological scheme assumes that hot water will rise to the surface through one well to transfer energy via a heat exchanger, and then, after cooling to 40–45 degrees, it will return to the layer through the second well. This closed cycle allows for maintaining pressure in the natural reservoir and ensures the environmental safety of the process.Completion of the system setup is planned by the end of this year. According to the approved schedule, heat from the depths will begin flowing into Olching‘s housing stock in the spring of 2027. Responding to criticism regarding the need for alternative use of funds—such as modernizing the waste incineration plant—König noted that developing geothermal energy is significantly less risky and a more long-term direction for ensuring the region’s energy independence.
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