Germany deepens geothermal drilling near Weisweiler to boost clean heating

Germany is accelerating geothermal research near the town of Weisweiler in the Rhineland as part of its move away from coal power. The project, led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructure and Geothermal Energy (IEG) in partnership with RWE Power and other research groups, aims to gather detailed subsurface data to enable large‑scale geothermal heating systems.

The first two exploratory wells, EB1 (≈100 m depth) and EB2 (≈500 m depth), were drilled using fiber‑optic temperature monitoring and seismic sensors. Researchers identified sedimentary layers of about 300 million‑year age and determined the presence of low‑permeability sandstone barriers and more permeable limestone at roughly 1,300 m. Plans are underway to conduct deeper surveys and drill wells up to 3,000 m to confirm a sizable geothermal reservoir that could replace the Weisweiler coal plant slated for closure in 2029 and the nearby Inden brown‑coal mine, providing low‑carbon heat for homes, industry and commercial buildings.