The Greater Munich area is considered a pioneer in Germany in the use of climate-friendly heat from deep underground. Now, the Bavarian capital and the surrounding municipalities want to explore the further development potential of this regional energy resource and make its use sustainable. DMT GmbH & Co. KG, Essen/Germany, a company of the TÜV NORD GROUP, was commissioned to carry out seismic exploration of the subsoil as part of the GIGA-M research project. The largest measurement campaign to date in an urban settlement area in Germany began in the first half of 2026.
The GIGA-M research project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), is a joint venture between the Technical University of Munich (coordination), Stadtwerke München (seismic management), Energie-Wende-Garching (seismic partner), the Ebersberg-Munich Energy Agency, the district of Munich and the state capital of Munich. The aim of the seismic campaign is to identify suitable hot water reservoirs beneath Munich. To this end, the subsoil is being surveyed seismically over a large area in order to obtain an accurate figure of the geological structures. The data obtained will also help to select specific locations for new geothermal plants, optimally integrate existing plants and further expand the supply of renewable heat. In this way, GIGA-M is laying the foundation for a secure, climate-friendly and affordable heat supply and taking the Munich region an important step closer to achieving climate neutrality by 2045.
“With Munich, one of Germany’s largest metropolitan areas is increasingly turning to geothermal energy. The planned Acceleration Act will also further strengthen the legal framework for geothermal energy. We expect demand to remain high, as many municipalities are looking for ways to achieve their climate targets as part of their municipal heat planning,” says Maik Tiedemann, CEO of DMT and CEO of the TÜV NORD GROUP Business Unit Energy & Resources.
The greater Munich area is located in the pre-Alpine Molasse Basin, a region that is particularly well suited for geothermal use. DMT has been supporting the Munich region in exploring the deep subsurface for usable heat since 2007. The new, large-scale seismic measurement campaign is intended to create the data basis for a significant expansion of geothermal capacity from the current approximately 400 MW to over 1 GW – enough to supply tens of thousands of additional households with climate-friendly heat. With a measurement area of 1,100 km², this is the largest seismic survey ever conducted in a German settlement area.
In order to capture the potential deep underground, special measuring vehicles (vibro trucks) send light seismic impulses into the ground (Figure 1). These impulses are reflected by rock formations and recorded by a network of geophones (receiver modules). The data obtained is then used to create a detailed 3D model of the subsurface. Based on this model, precise target areas for the development of hot thermal water can then be determined.
“Previously, the largest contiguous urban area in Germany to date was seismically surveyed in Münster at the end of 2024 – now Munich is taking over. With more than four times the area of the project in Münster, the exploration in Munich is of a unique scale. Such large-scale investigations in densely populated urban areas are challenging, but with the necessary expertise they are feasible and indispensable if we want to tap the geothermal potential for a future-proof heat supply,” says Christian Henke, Head of Seismics, Exploration & Processing at DMT.
Deep geothermal energy plays a central role in the transformation of heat supply in Germany. And its potential is enormous: according to the German Geothermal Association, it could cover at least 25 % of the country’s heat demand. Its importance is also increasingly being recognised at the federal level – the German government is providing over 1.5 bn € for its expansion by 2030. The new “Deep Geothermal Energy for Heating Networks” funding programme provides targeted support for municipal projects in particular. According to the Federal Environment Agency, the use of deep geothermal energy can save up to 40 Mt/a CO₂ – a decisive contribution to achieving climate neutrality by 2045.
Public acceptance is also high: According to recent surveys, e. g. by Fraunhofer IEG from 2024, more than 60 % of Germans are in favour of expanding the use of geothermal energy, especially if the potential impact on residents remains low. Never before has deep geothermal energy been so high on the political agenda – and it is becoming a key factor in ensuring a secure, affordable and climate-neutral heat supply. (DMT/Si.)
