Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has added 7 MWth of geothermal capacity in the last year, double that of last year, and also putting the state ahead in terms of installed capacity per capita. This year, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern replaces Bavaria, which has been the long-standing winner of the award.
“The recognition shows that people in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have recognized the treasure they are sitting on. The North German Basin offers excellent conditions for the use of geothermal energy – an opportunity for the country to make a decisive contribution to the heat transition and the goal of a climate-neutral Germany by 2045,” said BVG Managing Director Dr. André Deinhardt.
BVG will be presenting the award to Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) who will receive it on behalf of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern seeks to be a model region for geothermal growth
The geothermal heating plant in the Lankow district of Schwerin has become one of the lighthouse projects for geothermal growth in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The commissioning of the plant in April 2023 was marked by an inauguration ceremony where both Schwesig and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz were in attendance. The state supported the Schwerin public utilities’ geothermal energy project with EUR 4.2 million.
The location of this year’s award ceremony is the geothermal plant in Neustadt-Glewe operated by WEMAG AG, which supplies households and businesses with 20 GWh of heat annually. The Neustadt-Glewe is also notable for its expansion work, with a deviated well drilled in addition to an existing well to support additional capacity.
“For us, the heat transition is the key factor for continuing the energy transition. Especially now, at a time when many homeowners are thinking about replacing their heating system, it is even more important to expand or build local and district heating networks. Heat planning is becoming a mandatory municipal task. We support communities in planning and in their goals to operate in a climate-neutral manner,” said Caspar Baumgart, commercial director of WEMAG.
A few months ago, the city of Waren (Müritz) announced plans to expand its geothermal heating facilities. The geothermal facility in Papenberg in Waren (Müritz) holds the distinction of being the first MW-scale geothermal heating project in Germany.
In a previous press conference, Prime Minister Schwesig declared plans to make Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a model region for geothermal growth in Germany. To this end, a model outline will soon be submitted to the federal government.
