Geothermal Technologies

Topic Geothermal Technologies within the Renewable Energy Programme

Participating Helmholtz Centres: GFZ, UFZ, KIT
Topic Speaker of Geothermal Technologies: Dr. Huenges

The Helmholtz Association’s Renewable Energy Programme concentrates on highly complex questions, requiring continual and long-term research, interdisciplinary collaboration between a large number of scientists, and large-scale investment in experimental equipment. The Renewable Energy Programme is engaged in fundamental questions belonging to materials and process research, and in the problems involved in putting renewable energies into industrial practice. A major aspect of its research strategy is to pass on its results to industry, and to institutions which are closer to the market, as soon as the work needed for industrial realisation can be carried on more efficiently at such locations. The Programme is therefore dealing with renewable energy, but not with technologies which are already at the state of industrial realisation, such as low-energy houses, wind farms or solar panels. The Renewable Energy Programme covers the following fields:     

• Thin-film photo-electric systems
• Thermal solar power
• Geothermal Technologies
• System analysis and assessment of the consequences of technology

Research and development at the GFZ on Geothermal Technologies are part of this Renewable Energy Programme of the Helmholtz Association. The aim is to design systems to produce low-price energy which can supply electricity constantly. In the long term they will be used to complement energy sources which are subject to seasonal variation. Under the programme, research is concentrating on researching suitable geological structures for the use of geothermal techniques, on developing methods to increase the fluid productivity of geological formations, and on investigating means of obtaining energy long-term and cost-effectively. The programme also covers the development of process technologies for the installation of geothermal power stations and for monitoring all aspects of the system in operation. The aim above all is to create synergy effects through collaboration with the Helmholtz Earth and Environmental Research Division.