ALTERNATIVE ENERGY | 02.06.2009

Germany opens geothermal power station in Bavaria

Untapped energy resources lay beneath the earth's surface

Germany has officially opened an eco-friendly power plant near Munich in what is seen as a significant step in the creation of its promised geothermal energy network.

German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel inaugurated the new power station in the Munich municipality of Unterhaching on Tuesday. The plant will allow the city of 22,000 to cut carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds.

He said the project showed how innovative technology could exploit geothermal energy to generate heat and electricity.

“This highly modern plant will provide a significant boost to the generation of geothermal power in Germany,” Gabriel said, adding that the inauguration proved Germany's ability to develop commercial geothermal systems.

The plant, which will supply energy from deep within the earth's crust, is the first in the country to use what is known as the Kalina system. The technique, which uses ammonia and water to maximize the levels of power generated, will give the plant an output capacity of 3.36 megawatts.

A steady increase

Electricity can come from unexpected places

Although some towns in southern Germany have been using geothermal energy, which unlike other clean power sources is available all year round, for heating supplies since 2007, the generation of electricity from inside the earth’s core marks the start of something new.

Following the publication of a 2008 report which showed Germany to be making very little use of geothermal energy, the government has pledged to create a geothermal network capable of generating 280 megawatts of power, 40 times its present capacity, by the year 2020.

tkw/dpa/AFP

Editor: Trinity Hartman

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