MTU Aero Engines switches on geothermal heating plant in Munich, Germany
The geothermal heating plant at the site of MTU Aero Engines in Munich, Germany (source: Silke Maurer via LinkedIn)
Carlo Cariaga
26 Nov 2025
MTU Aero Engines has started operations of a geothermal heating plant that serves up 80% of the heating demand of its facility in Munich, Germany.
Aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines has announced that it has officially started operations of a geothermal heating plant that serves the heating needs of its facility in Munich, Germany. The plant now supplies up to 80% of the on-site heating demand from a geothermal doublet drilled back in 2024.
The proposal to build an on-site geothermal heating facility at the MTU site was first reported in 2020. Drilling of the first well for the project started in January 2024, successfully penetrating the Malm formation at a depth of 2650 meters. The second well of the doublet was drilled soon after. Both wells (Allach Th1 and Th2) were considered highly productive and described as some of the best Malm wells in the Molasse Basin based on hydraulic characteristics.
The geothermal doublet taps into a reservoir with thermal waters at approximately 71 °C. Heat from the thermal waters is transferred to MTU’s heating network via heat exchangers. At an initial extraction rate of 90 L/s of deep thermal waters, the geothermal plant maintains an output between 10 to 14 MWh. This corresponds to the annual energy supply of 2000 single-family homes and annual CO2 savings of up to 10,000 tons.
The commissioning ceremony was held in the presence of Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy, Hubert Aiwanger, as well as other guests from government agencies, project partners, and the company. “Geothermal energy is a key component for a secure, regional, and affordable energy supply. It provides continuous heat, regardless of weather or time of day, is renewable, and has stable prices,” said the Minister. “MTU Aero Engines recognized these advantages and was the first industrial company in Germany to implement a geothermal plant independently. The risk of the drilling lay solely with MTU. This entrepreneurial courage has paid off.”
“Today we are not only celebrating the launch of our geothermal plant. We are also celebrating the courage to venture into new territory together and, as an aviation company, to go deep underground instead of high. That an industrial company is taking its energy supply into its own hands in this way is unprecedented in Germany. At the same time, with these long-term investments, we are underscoring our commitment to and confidence in Germany as a business location,” added Dr. Silke Maurer, COO of MTU and Head of the Munich site.
The company has further plans of expanding the site’s geothermal heating capacity with a larger pump capable of 150 L/s flowrate to be installed by 2027. Dr Maurer notes that geothermal energy is a key component of the climate strategy of MTU Aero Engines as it targets a 63% reduction (from 2024) in CO2 emissions for all of its sites worldwide by 2035.
Source: TiefeGeothermie and Silke Maurer via LinkedIn
