Praxisforum event recognizes exceptional geothermal projects and research in Germany
Awardees at the 2025 Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern in Pullach, Germany (source: Tiefe Geothermi)
Carlo Cariaga
24 Oct 2025
The Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern event in Pullach, Germany once again recognized exceptional geothermal heat and power projects and research work.
Two exceptional geothermal plants, a person who played an instrumental role for geothermal, and a groundbreaking research project were all recognized during the recent Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern organized by Enerchange in Pullach, Germany.
New records for heat generation from geothermal energy were also highlighted during the event. The 24 geothermal plants in Bavaria collectively delivered around 3.4 TWh of heat in 2024, an increase of more than 20% from the previous year.
Two prime examples of the outstanding performance of deep geothermal
The Erding Geothermal Power Plant was honored as the “Golden Heating Plant 2024.” It stood out last year with its high coefficient of performance. The COP value of 40.5 achieved in Erding means that using one kilowatt-hour of electricity (e.g., to operate the pumps that pump the hot water from the depths to the surface) generates more than 40 kilowatt-hours of heat.
“This makes this plant a prime example of the outstanding performance of deep geothermal energy,” said Wolfgang Geisinger, Managing Director of Geothermie Unterhaching, presenting the award. By comparison, for modern air-to-water heat pumps, COP values ??between 5 and 6 are considered exceptionally good.
The title “Golden Power Plant 2024” went to Munich’s municipal utilities for their geothermal power plant in Sauerlach. Last year, the plant in Sauerlach stood out due to its particularly intensive use of the available geothermal energy. After a pumping temperature of 140 °C, the water in Sauerlach is pumped back down to the depths at just 40 °C. This means that the energy from 100 °C is used to generate heat and electricity. This is the highest value among all Bavarian geothermal plants.
Dr. Jochen Schneider, the organizer of the Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern, presented the awards to Michael Perzl of the Erding Geothermal Power Plant Association and Stefan Birle of Munich’s municipal utilities, together with Josef Lausch and Martin Stümpfig, the energy policy spokespersons for the Free Voters and Alliance 90/The Greens in the Bavarian State Parliament.
Honorary Award granted to Peter Freiherr von Pastor
The Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern’s Honorary Award was presented for the first time. This honor went to the long-time head of the Southern Bavaria Mining Authority, Peter Freiherr von Pastor. He has shaped Bavarian geothermal energy for many years and thus deserves this newly created “Geothermal Oscar” for his lifetime achievement, said Prince Hubertus zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg in his laudation.
“Peter Freiherr von Pastor has strongly supported and advanced deep geothermal energy on the government side. Furthermore, nowhere else in Germany are the processing times for geothermal projects as short as at the Southern Bavaria Mining Authority.”
Recognition for research on high-temperature heat pumps
For many years now, the Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern has also honored young scientists with an award. Jaromir Jeßberger from the University of Bayreuth received this year’s Christian Hecht Prize for his work on the evaluation of high-temperature heat pumps and their integration into geothermal energy systems.
“This work demonstrates how geothermal energy can become an important component of the energy transition even in regions outside of geothermal hotspots,” said laudatory speaker Christian Pletl of Munich’s municipal utility company. Munich’s municipal utility company is awarding the prize with €1,500.
Looking towards the future of geothermal in Germany
The award ceremony at the Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern was accompanied by a high-profile conference day. This day was entirely dedicated to the Geothermal Energy Acceleration Act, which the federal government passed in August. The new political framework, which is intended to facilitate the nationwide expansion of future-oriented heat supply from deep geothermal energy, was also reflected in a new record number of participants at the Bavarian Geothermal Practice Forum.
The event also put a strong focus on young talent: Students and trainees were invited free of charge to learn about the diverse career opportunities surrounding deep geothermal energy, network with companies, and explore entry-level opportunities in the industry. “To ensure that the heat transition does not fail due to a shortage of skilled workers, the Career Forum was once again the top priority at this year’s Praxisforum,” explained organizer Jochen Schneider.
The event, held at the Pullach Community Center, thus once again demonstrated its role as southern Germany’s leading industry meeting for geothermal energy utilization.
On the third and final day of the Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern, two showcase deep geothermal energy projects will be visited at “GeoTHOUR.” The first stop is MTU Aero Engines AG’s new geothermal plant in northern Munich. The Munich-based engine manufacturer is the first German DAX 40 company to implement a deep geothermal energy project. The second stop is Erdwärme Grünwald’s new drilling site (Laufzorn II). With this project, the 11,000-resident community in southern Munich is well on its way to becoming the first municipality in Germany to generate its entire heat needs from CO2-free geothermal energy .
Source: Tiefe Geothermie
