Construction has been completed on a geothermal heating plant in Hamburg, Germany.

The construction of a new geothermal heating plant in Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg, has reached a significant milestone, marked by a topping-out ceremony. The plant is expected to start providing geothermal heat to the local heating network by 2026.

The “Integrated Heat Transition Wilhelmsburg” (IW3) project is being carried out by a consortium that includes Hamburger Energiewerke, through its subsidiary Hamburg Energie Geothermie GmbH (HEGeo), alongside CONSULAQUA, Hamburg Institut Research gGmbH (HIR), Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg (HAW), and Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU).

The topping-out ceremony signifies the completion of the energy center's structure. This facility will support the geothermal system's infrastructure, including an 8-MW heat pump system, medium-voltage distribution, transformers, and circulation pumps. The heat pump system, produced by WESKA Kälteanlagen GmbH, is set to undergo Factory Acceptance Testing before being sent to Wilhelmsburg.

Buffer storage tanks with a cumulative capacity of 100 cubic meters will be set up in front of the heat center to manage peak demands and stabilize the supply to the heating networks. Additionally, a photovoltaic system will be installed on the building's roof.

Initial announcements for the geothermal heating plant in Wilhelmsburg were made in 2019, following preliminary studies on the region’s geothermal potential that began in 2008. In 2020, the IW3 project secured EUR 22.5 million in funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK). Drilling commenced in 2022, with the first well reaching a depth of 1300 meters and a second well drilled to 1460 meters. Production tests indicated that the production well can extract thermal waters at 48 °C from 1300 meters deep.

The new heating facility will be integrated into the Wilhelmsburg district heating network, which encompasses the Energiebunker and Energieverbund networks. Future plans include connecting three additional districts in Wilhelmsburg: Rathausviertel, Elbinselquartier, and Spreehafenviertel.

Currently, the district heating network, including the Energiebunker, sources around 45% of its heat from climate-neutral sources like solar thermal energy, industrial waste heat, and a biomethane combined heat and power plant. The geothermal power plant will provide a reliable base load in the future, reducing reliance on natural gas and primarily using it for peak demand periods.