Geothermal Electricity Booming in Germany

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52588

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Innovative technology is important because Germany, unlike countries such as Iceland, Italy or Indonesia, does not have volcanic activity or the associated dry steam reservoirs that can be used to produce electricity directly.

"Geothermal electricity has the advantage of being available 24 hours a day, 8000 hours a year, and this makes it a great source of baseload power," Bussmann said.

He predicted that Germany could be generating several thousands of megawatts (MW) of electricity from geothermal sources in a couple of decades. There are already four small geothermal power plants successfully operating in Germany, albeit supplying only a tiny amount of electricity.

More plants — some as big as 8-10 MW — are due to go into operation in 2009-2010 in Sauerlach, Dürrnhaar, Riedstadt, Speyer, Gross Schoenebeck and Mauerstetten. And looking 3 to 5 years ahead, there could be more than a hundred plants. About 150 geothermal power plant projects are in the pipeline representing an investment of 4 billion euros, according to the German government.

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