First geothermal well a success for MTU facility in Munich, Germany
The Allach Th1 geothermal borehole at the MTU Aero Engines facility in Munich, Germany (source: Erdwerk)
Carlo Cariaga
19 Apr 2024
The first geothermal borehole drilled at the MTU Aero Engines site in Munich, Germany has shown good temperature and hydraulic performance.
Drilling and pump testing of the first well drilled for the geothermal heating project of aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines AG (MTU) in Munich, Germany has been completed, with data so far indicating a productive well. The drilling rig will then be skidded to the location of the second well, which will be drilled by mid-April.
First reported in 2020, the geothermal project aims to supply process and space heating for the buildings of MTU, reducing the current fossil fuel usage by up to 88%. ERDWERK has been managing the project since 2020, starting with the basic investigation, support in the mining approval process including the application for the Karlsfeld-Ost permit field, the feasibility study, detailed planning, and the tendering process. German drilling company Daldrup & Söhne AG has been awarded the general contract for the construction of the geothermal doublet.
Drilling for the MTU officially started at the end of January 2024. With a total distance of 2650 meters, the first borehole (Allach Th1) was deviated to the south and hit the Malm formation on the 18th of March after almost two months of drilling. Mud losses during drilling in the Malm were early indications of good hydraulic conditions.
Short-term pumping tests indicated a productivity index (PI) of over 50 L/s/bar at approximately 120 L/s. This makes Allach Th1 one of the most best Malm wells in terms of hydraulic performance in the Molasse Basin. The data obtained so far indicates a very productive borehole, with a very good flow rate of well over 100 liters per second and a temperature of around 70°C.
With this drilling, the very good hydraulic properties of the Malm thermal water reservoir were demonstrated for the first time in the northwest of Munich (and at the project site of the MTU plant in Munich-Allach).
Source: MTU Aero Engines and Erdwerk GmbH
