Vienna starts with drilling work: deep geothermal energy for 20,000 households

Vienna starts with drilling work: deep geothermal energy for 20,000 households

in Vienna's Seestadt will soon be started with the drilling work for the city's first deep geothermal system. This innovative project, known as the "DEEEP", aims to provide climate -neutral district heating for around 20,000 households from 2028. Cooperation between Vienna Energie and the OMV enables an important step towards taking an environmentally friendly energy supply.

Aktuell is there on the construction site at the construction site at Seestadtstraße 17. While there are only a few building containers and some water pools in the area, OMV expert Bernhard Nowotny announces: "After a lot of bureaucracy, the chisel is finally talking." One of the planned activities is to prepare the drilling space, with the first holes that are supposed to go up to 3,400 meters deep.

an innovative heating system

Wien Energie’s head of business for decarbonization and new technologies, Linda Kirchberger, is enthusiastic: "We can finally start implementation and take the first steps." These efforts are part of a larger plan to replace fossil fuels with emission -free alternatives. The process of deep geothermal energy uses natural hot water basins, which are located at a large depth below the surface of the earth. The hot water is pumped onto the surface, where the heat is withdrawn and fed into the district heating network. Then the water is returned to the reservoir, where it heats up again.

The process uses a system called "Hydrothermal Dublette", which requires two holes: the conveyor bore from which the water is pumped up, and the injection bore that attracts the water. The third bore, the "pilot bore", is intended for the data collection over the terrain. Despite optimism, those responsible have to be careful, as it cannot yet be confirmed that a suitable water reservoir actually exists below the area. "The data suggests it very much," says Nowotny, "that's why I'm actually not worried".

If the holes are successful, through tests can advance further plans. The construction work for the actual system could begin in early 2026, with the hope that everything will be put into operation by 2028. At the moment, however, the construction site is still being prepared. Basic infrastructures have been set up, including a power connection and the setting of the water basin. The drilling tower, which will reach a height of around 50 meters, is to be delivered in the coming weeks. The total costs of the project amount to around 90 million euros.

a step into the future

The planned deep geothermal system is said to be the first of several; Vienna plans to build up to seven other locations, with the aim of supplying at least 200,000 households with geothermal energy by 2040. This initiative is part of the comprehensive strategy of Vienna to become climate -neutral. At the moment, about 40 percent of the city is supplied with district heating, with a significant part of these heat still comes from fossil fuels. Kirchberger emphasizes the importance of the project: "This is an important starting point, from which we will learn a lot to make Vienna always climate tatters".

The comprehensive developments on the construction site and the plans for the use of geothermal energy are the focus of interest. Projects such as this could make a decisive contribution to the energy transition and lead Vienna into a more sustainable future. The facts that arise from these efforts are eagerly awaited, and progress will undoubtedly attract the attention of citizens and experts alike. Further information on this future-oriented project can be interested in interested readers read .