Munich
For more than a century, a gas that was frequently imported from far away has been used to power the heating plant in Munich’s southern Sendling neighborhood. However, the heated waters from the stations deep below are increasingly what supplies the electricity.
A boxy new geothermal unit encircled by a maze of pipes is tacked onto the side of the original 19th-century red-brick facility. Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the closure of the pipelines to Europe, construction on the replacement facility began in 2016 and was completed in 2021. But for the city, which, like the rest of the nation, is struggling to make up for lost Russian gas supplies, the timely launch of the contemporary unit—one of the largest of its kind in Europe—is a fortuitous accident. Munich is investing $1 billion (€1.1 billion) through 2035 in geothermal energy development and carbon-neutral heating for the city.
While in Denmark, the largest plant in the country is slated to operate in Aarhus in 2030, providing 20% of the city’s heating, the Italian government is likewise preparing to encourage expansion. The European Commission estimates that up to 25% of EU citizens may heat their homes with geothermal energy.
