The drilling rig for the DGE-Rollout deep geothermal research project near the Weisweiler power plant in NRW, Germany.

The Fraunhofer Real-World Laboratory for Geothermal Energy Geotechnologies and Georesources (FRELA-GEO3) research platform has been awarded EUR 52 million in funding from the Coal Regions Investment Act (InvKG) in Germany. The project aims to create a large research infrastructure for geothermal energy in Europe, and will be implemented with partners including RWE Power AG, STAWAG, RWTH Aachen, and Ruhr University Bochum.

The funding will allow the FRELA-GEO3 project to move from planning to implementation, with a focus on conducting a large-scale geophysical survey of the subsurface in the Aachen urban region and drilling two exploration boreholes. Additionally, Fraunhofer IEG will build a research center in Weisweiler for georesources and decarbonization.

The project is an important step in the implementation of the Geothermal Energy Master Plan for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and could provide a cost-effective and regional heat source for the region if exploration results are positive. The funding for the project is broken down into three components, including support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and joint funding from the Fraunhofer Society by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Overall, the project will receive a total of EUR 52.005 million in funding over four years, and is expected to make a decisive contribution to the heat transition in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Rhineland region.