Krefeld/Münster (dpa/lnw) – According to the Geological Service of North Rhine-Westphalia, several layers of rock in the Münsterland can be used for the use of climate-friendly geothermal energy. “It is a luxury that a region can access three limestone horizons,” said project manager Ingo Schäfer on Monday of the German Press Agency on the results of the seismic measurements in Münsterland. They were carried out last autumn with special measuring vehicles.
According to him, at a depth of about 1200 to 1500 meters in a limestone layer, water with about 40 to 50 degrees is to be expected. “It is certain that the temperature is there. It is not certain how much water will come out,” explained Schäfer. Such a temperature could be sufficient to heat a new residential area.
The layer at 4,500 to 5,000 meters would be suitable for supplying an entire district heating network. “There are completely different temperatures,” he explained. Around 130 to 160 degrees are to be expected there. Temperatures of around 180 to 200 degrees are likely to be present at the deepest of the three limestone layers at a depth of around 6000 to 6500 meters. Despite such a high temperature at this depth, the water is still liquid due to the immense pressure.
“We now know where the raisins are in the cake,” explained the project manager. With further checkerboard-like measurements or drilling, specific locations could be explored more closely.
In hydrothermal deep geothermal energy, hot water is pumped from a water-bearing layer to the earth’s surface with a borehole. The hot water transfers the heat to a heating network via a heat exchanger. The cooled water flows back into the aquifer via a second borehole.
