The drilling work for Bavaria's 25th deep geothermal project in Polling (Mühldorf am Inn district) began in spring 2024 and reached the hot water reservoir at a depth of around 2,600 meters in early September. The quantity and temperature of the deep groundwater, which will be returned to the underground reservoir as part of a closed-loop system, met expectations. The water, which is over 100 degrees Celsius, can be used in a geothermal plant to generate around 30 MW of thermal energy for district heating.
SMALL FOOTPRINT, HIGHLY AUTOMATED, AND LOW NOISE EMISSIONS
When thermal energy is generated from hot water extracted from deep underground for heating, cooling, and electricity, the transport distances, especially the pipelines needed for district heating, must be kept as short as possible. For efficiency reasons, the drilling site and the geothermal plant should be located near populated areas, whose buildings will be heated with the generated thermal energy. Herrenknecht's deep drilling rigs set new standards in flexibility and environmental protection. Thanks to their electro-hydraulic drive and automated pipe handling, they are considered the quietest deep drilling rigs on the market.
AI-DRIVEN MACHINE CONTROL
Herrenknecht is further enhancing this advantage in a research project with Offenburg University of Applied Sciences. Machine data and noise development are analyzed using artificial intelligence methods and applied to the control of the deep drilling rig. This minimizes noise emissions on the construction site while ensuring technically efficient drilling and the shortest possible construction times.
LONG-STANDING EXPERIENCE
Herrenknecht Vertical's deep drilling rigs have been used in one-third of all geothermal projects in Germany. In Upper Bavaria, a region geologically suited for deep geothermal energy, Herrenknecht rigs have been deployed in projects in Polling, Halsbach, Dürrnhaar, Kirchweidach, Traunreut, and Freiham. Since 2005, Herrenknecht Vertical has been manufacturing deep drilling rigs at the Herrenknecht Group's headquarters in Schwanau, Baden, and exporting them worldwide.
