Climate-neutral district heating beginning in 2028: Drilling starts for first deep geothermal plant in Vienna

• OMV and Wien Energie drill three kilometers down in deeep joint venture
• Three deep wells in Vienna-Donaustadt by mid-2025
• Beginning in 2028, the plant is expected to supply 20,000 Viennese households with sustainable heat 

Producing sustainable energy from the earth’s depths to provide Vienna's district heating: This is the goal of deeep, a joint venture between OMV and Wien Energie. Drilling at a depth of more than 3,000 meters begins today in Aspern (Vienna-Donaustadt). The project is an important milestone on the way to a climate-neutral heat supply for Vienna. Once completed, the plant in Vienna's 22nd district will feed into the city's district heating network and meet the needs of 20,000 Viennese households emission-free. 

"Just like the mountain spring water pipeline or the Danube regulation were in their times, the development of deep geothermal energy is a project of the future that will contribute to the quality of life in our city for well over a hundred years", says Peter Hanke, City Councilor for Economic and Financial Affairs and Wiener Stadtwerke. "This deep geothermal plant is a forward-looking project that sets an example for our city. We are not only generating energy, but also strengthening our supply independence and our economic position.”
This geothermal plant is scheduled to be commissioned in 2028, with additional plants to follow. OMV and Wien Energie estimate that the technology has the potential to meet the heating needs of around 200,000 households in Vienna. Deep geothermal energy can play an important role in the city's carbon-neutral heat supply, which Vienna aims to achieve by 2040. The first deep geothermal plant will serve as the basis for further expansion. 

“Geothermal energy is an important element of our 2030 strategy, with which OMV is driving forward its transformation into an integrated sustainable chemicals, fuels, and energy company.  OMV has a unique knowledge of the geology of the Vienna Basin. We are applying this know-how, combined with many years of experience in exploration and production, together with Wien Energie in our innovative district heating project for Vienna. With deeep, we are reducing CO2 emissions and offering an energy solution for a sustainable future. At the same time, geothermal energy enhances supply security and supports the diversification of energy sources”, says Berislav Gašo, Executive Vice President Energy and Member of the Executive Board at OMV.

Peter Weinelt, CEO of Wiener Stadtwerke, adds: "This first deep geothermal plant brings us a big step closer to our goal of operating climate-neutral district heating by 2040. In just a few years, we want to generate climate-neutral heat for the equivalent of 20,000 Viennese households here. With today's start of drilling, Wien Energie and OMV are setting the starting signal for the use of deep geothermal energy in Vienna."

Natural hot water reservoir beneath Vienna

Geothermal energy involves using the heat of the earth at depths of more than 300 meters. In the case of Vienna, a natural hot water reservoir, the "Aderklaaer Konglomerat", is tapped at a depth of about 3,000 meters. This water formation is located in a water-bearing rock layer and has a temperature of around 100 degrees Celsius.

"Vienna is particularly fortunate because it sits on top of a large heat reservoir – and after years of research and planning, we are now going derive its benefit", explain Wien Energie Managing Directors Michael Strebl and Karl Gruber. "With the first deeep geothermal plant for Vienna, we will generate even more climate-neutral district heating. As we will be less dependent on gas imports, this will contribute to security of supply and price stability.”

Renewable cycle

During operation, hot formation water is pumped to the surface. The heat is extracted from the water through a heat exchanger and fed into the district heating network. The cooled water is then returned to the original reservoir, creating a closed loop. One of the advantages of this technology is that the geothermal energy source is available consistently throughout the year.

The deep geothermal pilot plant in Aspern will require a total of three wells: a pilot well for exploration, maintenance and protection, a production well and an injection well for the return of the cooled water.

Drilling is expected to be completed by mid-2025. This will be followed by production tests to verify the availability, temperature, and chemical composition of the formation water. The surface plant can then be built. The Aspern deep geothermal plant is scheduled to be commissioned in 2028.

Information center for curious visitors

High safety standards apply in the drilling area. Starting in January 2025, those who are interested will be able to learn more about the project and the technology at a specifically commissioned information center. This will be located at the edge of the site and will provide a view of the entire drilling and construction process over the next few years. This means that you can follow and experience the project’s progress live on site. Admission is free, but groups must register in advance. For opening hours and general information about the project, visit www.deeep.at.

Key data on the Aspern deep geothermal plant

• Location of the plant: Seestadtstraße 17, 1220 Vienna
• Planned capacity: approx. 20 megawatts thermal (including Wien Energie heat pumps)
• District heating for the equivalent of about 20,000 Viennese households
• Start of drilling: December 2024
• Planned commissioning: 2028
• Planned investment: approx. EUR 90 million. The project is partly funded by the Austrian Min-istry for Climate Protection.

Picture material: https://bit.ly/3VIROXx