Chemical company BASF begins geothermal tests in bid to reduce gas consumption
Handelsblatt / Clean Energy Wire
Chemicals company BASF has started tests in the depths of the Upper Rhine Plain to explore the potential of using geothermal energy, business daily Handelsblatt reported. Vibratory trucks which emit sound waves to explore deep underground are now looking for suitable locations for test drilling. BASF and start-up partner Vulcan Energy aim to launch a geothermal plant by 2030 in Ludwigshafen, the world's largest chemical producer's main location. Several municipal utilities are also involved in the project, according to Handelsblatt.
Thermal water could cover a large part of BASF's energy requirements, as its Ludwigshafen plant runs on process steam which is in part generated in gas-fired power plants. The planed geothermal plant could thus reduce its gas consumption and associated greenhouse gases. At the same time, Vulcan Energy is exploring lithium extraction from the geothermal wells for battery production.
Exploration permits for geothermal projects in Germany have almost doubled in the past two years, going from 82 in January 2023 to a current 155 planned projects, according to figures by the German geothermal association (BVG).
Germany's outgoing government worked to accelerate the use of geothermal plants coupled with large heat pumps and heat storage facilities by easing approval procedures. Geothermal advocates and environmental organisations have long been calling for Germany to boost the use of the renewable underground energy source for heating. However, the construction of geothermal plants is considered complex, risky and expensive, Handelsblatt reported.
