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Selected Highlights 2017
Geothermal-Alliance Bavaria (GAB)
Funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Education,
Science and the Arts and coordinated by the TUM School
of Engineering, three major universities in Bavaria have
joined forces in the Geothermal-Alliance Bavaria (GAB):
the Technical University of Munich, the Friedrich-Alexan-
der University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the University of
Bayreuth. The aim of the project is to push research in the
field of geothermal energy on a variety of scientific fields,
such as geology, chemistry, thermal process engineer-
ing and electrical engineering with the ultimate goal of
strengthening the use of deep geothermal energy as a
domestic energy source.
To phase out nuclear and fossil-fuel energy, alternative
ways of providing district heating and electricity have to
be explored. In the molasse basin of southern Bavaria, the
conditions for using deep geothermal energy reservoirs as
a domestic and reliable energy source are very favorable.
To access the reservoir and extract the thermal energy
efficiently and economically, a variety of research ques-
tions need to be addressed.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Spliethoff
Energy Systems
www.es.mw.tum.de spliethoff@tum.dePhone +49.89.289.16270
Contact
The project is organized in five sub-projects, designed in a
holistic approach to cover the fields of geothermal energy
research as completely as possible.
The GAB partners focus on the following research
subjects:
■■
the design of efficient and flexible power plants;
■■
the development and implementation of monitoring
tools for geothermal power plants;
■■
to improve the understanding of deep geothermal
reservoirs in order to maximize the success rate in
exploration;
■■
to increase the reliability of the thermal water cycle; and
■■
to better understand the geological requirements
for petrothermal reservoirs in Northern Bavaria and
investigate their potential.
In addition, the joint Master’s program ‘GeoThermie/
GeoEnergie’ commenced in WS2017/18 at the Technical
University of Munich and the Friedrich-Alexander Univer-
sity of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
www.mse.tum.de/gabDrilling site in Unterhaching,
Source: H. Angers Söhne Bohr- und Brunnenbaugesellschaft mbH
Drill bit, Source: TUM, Rita Dornmair




