Berlin starts great exploration: geothermal energy for climate -neutral warmth!

Berlin starts great exploration: geothermal energy for climate -neutral warmth!

Berlin, Deutschland - On June 23, 2025, the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment (SenMVKU) received the decision for the Mountary Permit Field "Erdwärme Berlin" from the State Office for Mining, Geology and Raw Materials (LBGR). This permit field is used for geological explorations in the entire urban area and for nationwide reservoir management. The aim of the measure is a long -term climate -neutral heat supply of Berlin through deep geothermal energy, such as [berlin.de] (https://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/Pressemaytäreungen/2025/Pressemageilung. 1572910.php) reports.

In July 2023, the “Roadmap deep geothermal energy Berlin” was adopted, which includes central measures for an extensive drilling program, city-wide 3D-seismic examinations and the application for a coherent license field. The approved permit field has an area of ​​550 km² and applies for five years. The state of vision is carried out by the state of Berlin in cooperation with municipal and private heat network operators. The goal is a coordinated control of geothermal projects for decarbonizing distance and local heat supply until 2045.

exploration holes in Adlershof

As part of the project, the suitability of the Berlin subsoil for seasonal heat storage is examined. The exploration drilling of the German Geoforschung Center (GFZ) in Berlin-Adlershof began in mid-November 2023. On December 13, a depth of 300 meters was reached. In the course of the drilling up to a depth of about 650 meters, to deepen the geological understanding of the Berlin subsoil, as [gfz.de] (https://www.gfz.de/presse/detailsicht/forschungsbrahrung-berlin-adlershof-erste-bohrkerne-nach-toben-toben.

The rock samples are obtained using the cable car drilling process and characterized geologically. The aim is to improve the climate -friendly district heating supply of Berlin through the use of geothermal aquifer heating stores, in which the excess heat can be stored from combined heat and power plants or industrial plants. In addition, mineralogical-geochemical analyzes are carried out both on site and in laboratories. Project manager Ali Saadat emphasizes the importance of geothermal energy for the decarbonization of the energy supply.

The role of geothermal energy in Berlin's future

The need to switch heat supply to renewable energies is undisputed in Berlin. There are currently over 90 percent of heat supply to fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil. Almost half of the Berlin final energy requirement escapes the room heat and hot water sector, which underlines the urgent need for action to reduce CO2 emissions. According to berlin.de, deep geothermal energy could provide a fifth of the required warmth and thus take on an important role in the local and district heating networks.

The technology of deep geothermal energy has proven itself in numerous facilities in Germany. Nevertheless, the exact potential of the Berlin subsoil is still unclear and requires comprehensive exploration. Ingo Sass, a leading geologist, calls for more intensive geothermal exploration of the urban underground to close gaps in knowledge and planning and thus to transform the heat supply in Berlin sustainably.