BEW Berliner Energie und Wärme GmbH (BEW) has officially launched a new deep geothermal exploration project in Berlin, bringing together industry, academic and government partners to assess the potential of geothermal energy as a future source of low-carbon heat.
The Geo4Berlin research project will investigate underground rock formations and assess their suitability for geothermal heat production, with the aim of integrating geothermal energy into BEW's district heating system in the early 2030s.
A key part of the project will be an exploratory drilling programme at the Marzahn combined heat and power (CHP) plant, with drilling expected to commence in Q1 2028, and reach depths of almost 2km.
The project brings together BEW, the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment (SenMVKU), the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Georg-August University of Göttingen. It is funded through the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy's (BMWE) 8th Energy Research Programme.
Christian Feuerherd, CEO of BEW, said “Now it’s starting. Together with the State of Berlin, the Technical University of Darmstadt, and the University of Göttingen, we are exploring the potential of deep geothermal energy for Berlin. It is a key component of our decarbonisation roadmap: the first geothermal heat is expected to flow into our district heating system in the early 2030s, complementing the growing share of renewable energies and unavoidable waste heat in our energy mix. I am delighted that we are now creating the knowledge base for this with strong partners. Geothermal energy has the potential to be a real game-changer for Berlin.”
The Geo4Berlin partners will combine existing geological information with data gathered through the planned exploratory drilling to develop a detailed understanding of the city's geothermal resources.
The findings will support the development of a digital reservoir model, providing the technical and geological information needed to assess potential geothermal plant concepts and future investment decisions.
Alongside the research programme, BEW has already begun initial planning for a potential geothermal facility at Marzahn. However, further development will depend on the results of the exploratory drilling and the wider geological investigations, which will establish whether the resource can be commercially and technically developed.