Wedoany.com Report-Apr. 12, The State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG) in Lower Saxony, Germany, has issued a geothermal exploration permit to Innargi, a Danish geothermal developer, for the city of Kiel and its surrounding regions. The permit, valid for five years until February 28, 2030, covers an area of over 280 square kilometers. This includes Kiel, the state capital, the Kiel Fjord, and nearby areas stretching from Strande in the north to Klein Barkau in the south, Melsdorf in the west, and Dobersdorf in the east.

The port of Kiel, Germany

Innargi had previously partnered with Stadtwerke Kiel, the local utility, to assess the feasibility of geothermal district heating in Kiel. The project will be managed through Innargi’s local subsidiary, Innargi Germany Project I GmbH, which now holds the rights to explore the area. However, exploration activities require further approval of operating plans under mining regulations, including a separate public participation process, before they can begin.

Stephan Ghisler-Solvang, Director of Communications & Public Affairs at Innargi, expressed optimism about the permit, stating: “We are delighted to have been granted the geothermal exploration license for Kiel and the surrounding area. This enables us to progress together with Stadtwerke Kiel to potentially develop a geothermal project. We anticipate the subsurface will be favourable for hydrogeothermal, hence it could turn out to be a stable and secure energy source for the city of Kiel.”

Stadtwerke Kiel welcomed the news but noted a current focus on a different initiative. Sönke Schuster, the utility’s spokesperson, said: “We are pleased that Innargi GmbH has received the exploration license for geothermal energy for the area ‘Kiel and surroundings.’ Due to the project prioritization carried out by Kieler Stadtwerke, we will initially focus on our seawater heat pump project. Therefore, we are concentrating our organizational resources on the rapid development of this project.” He added: “However, we are maintaining our letter of intent with Innargi for a potential future project.”

This permit marks a step forward for Innargi in exploring geothermal energy as a reliable heating option for Kiel, while Stadtwerke Kiel balances its efforts between current and future sustainable energy projects.