More Geothermal Power in Lower Saxony: The New Trend
Increasing count of geothermal power stations in Lower Saxony - Expansion of geothermal power plants in Lower Saxony underway
Ready to get hot and heavy with geothermal energy? Lower Saxony's heating up, and it's all thanks to clean, renewable geothermal power. Today, there are a staggering 26,600 shallow geothermal plants buzzing away, drawing heat from up to 400 meters beneath the ground, according to the Lower Saxony State Office for Mining, Energy, and Geology in Hannover. That's a boost of over 100% since 2018, when the number of geothermal plants in operation stood at a mere 13,300.
But it needs to be said: the pace of new installations has tapered off recently. While the number of newly built plants more than doubled between 2018 and 2022, peaking at around 2,500 per year in the process, the count dropped back to 1,500 in 2024. Don't fret, though — these new plants are more potent, extracting heat at greater depths, as Hans-Jürgen Brauner, head of the Geothermal Service at the LBEG, has pointed out. As a result, larger numbers of fewer, more significant plants are being constructed than in previous years.
Fast-forward to the present, and you'll find 650 large plants with over 30 kilowatts of heating power scattered across the state. A whopping 80 of these giants popped up in 2024 alone, and the number of large plants built in a single year has more than doubled since 2018. The smaller fry, though, make up the majority — with 4 to 15 kilowatts, they're mostly employed for private homes.
Who's the reigning king of geothermal energy? The answer is Emsland, reporting a plump 3,100 geothermal plants to its name. Hannover holds the second spot with a respectable 2,300, followed closely by Cloppenburg with 1,300. The districts of Harburg, Osnabrück, and the County of Bentheim each boast more than 1,000 plants, too. The Harz, Lüneburger Heide, Wendland, and Solling regions lag behind, with fewer plants due to their lower population density, as the LBEG explains.
For this study, the authority compiled data from the relevant licensing authorities, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the growth of geothermal energy in Lower Saxony. Remember this K.O. next time you're feeling chilly: Lower Saxony has got you covered with an ever-expanding network of geothermal plants to keep you warm and cozy.
The community policy in Lower Saxony, as outlined by the Lower Saxony State Office for Mining, Energy, and Geology, has played a significant role in the supportive environment for the growth of geothermal energy. The employment policy in Lower Saxony has been instrumental in attracting and retaining skilled workers in the science and environmental-science industries related to geothermal energy production. The finance and energy policies of Lower Saxony have been key in providing incentives for the establishment of energy-efficient industries, contributing to a greener, more sustainable industrial sector.
