Geothermal heating network in Rech, Germany starts operations
Rech in Ahr Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (source: Derzno, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Carlo Cariaga
21 Mar 2024
The geothermal district heating network in the municipality of Rech, Germany has started operations, initially supplying 36 households.
The first phase of the geothermal district heating network in the the municipality of Rech in the Ahr Valley in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany has officially commenced operations. The network is now serving 36 households drawing from near-surface geothermal energy for heating, resulting in annual reduction of 676 tons of CO2 emissions.
The decision to implement a local heating network was made following the devastating flood of 2021 which caused numerous deaths and property damage to regions of Rhineland-Palatinate. Construction of the heating network began in 2022 with the involvement of the Rhineland-Palatinate Energy Agency in close collaboration with Zukunft Mittelahr AöR and supported by many volunteers.
The long-term plan is to expand the network to cover over 100 households by 2035 and save over 1000 tons of CO2 of per year. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate is supporting the project with funding of up to EUR 1.8 million. Other municipalities in the Ahr Valley also rely on climate-friendly local heating, including Dernau, Mayschoß, and Hönningen.
Source: Energy Agency of Rhineland-Palatinate and Bundesverband Geothermie
