Neubrandenburg relies on geothermal energy: climate-neutral heat by 2045!

Neubrandenburg relies on geothermal energy: climate-neutral heat by 2045!

A lot is happening in the area of ​​renewable energies in Neubrandenburg. The city plans to convert its heating systems to be completely CO2 neutral. The aim is not only to make a contribution to climate protection, but also to secure the future of heat supply. A central element of these plans is the use of geothermal energy, supported by solar energy, a modern large heat pump and a new heat storage system. Loud ndr.de Around 50% of the current district heating requirement should come from warm water, which is pumped from a depth of over 1,300 meters.

The remaining 50% of the heat is covered by solar systems, an air heat pump and a newly installed underground storage system. With its dimensions, the latter will be truly unique in Germany. There is a similar pilot project in Schleswig-Holstein, but Neubrandenburg's plans go far beyond this initiative. The aim is to achieve a climate-neutral heat supply for the around 80% of households in the city that are currently connected to the district heating network by 2045.

Recourse to old resources

A notable aspect of the project is the planned use of geothermal drilling from the GDR era. The Neubrandenburg public utilities are preparing to convert the aquifer storage facility on Bachstrasse into a modern deep geothermal energy system. While this storage system supplied the Rostocker Strasse residential area with heat for almost 20 years, it has now become obsolete because the modernized combined cycle heat and power plant on Warliner Strasse no longer produces excess heat. That reports nordkurier.de.

The municipal utilities plan to cover around 10% of the average district heating requirements via deep water at around 55 degrees Celsius, which is to be fed into the central network with the help of heat pumps. In order to coordinate the progress and integration of the various energy sources, a comprehensive municipal heat planning is being developed in collaboration with the city administration and various stakeholders.

A clear roadmap until 2045

Anyone who thinks this is all a thing of the future is wrong. The transformation plan for converting to sustainable energy sources should be available this year. In this way, Neubrandenburg wants to ensure that the course for a climate-neutral heat supply is set in good time. In this context, the city was also awarded funding from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection amounting to 400,000 euros, which is part of a total budget of 800,000 euros. These funds will be used both for feasibility studies and for updating local heat planning.

According to the Heat Planning Act, which came into force on January 1, 2024, all cities and municipalities in Germany are obliged to create heat planning by 2028 at the latest in order to make local supply efficient and climate-neutral. This also includes Neubrandenburg, which aims to play a pioneering role in this regard. By 2030, half of the heat supply should be provided by renewable energies, and by 2045 we want to be completely independent of how geothermie.de describes.

With these ambitious plans, Neubrandenburg has not only focused attention on its own city, but has also presented itself as a good example for other municipalities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and beyond. The transformation to a green heat supply offers enormous potential - an opportunity that Neubrandenburg is seizing with both hands.