GeoLaB - Geothermal Laboratory in the Crystalline Basement

Climate change and the geopolitical situation have shown that Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels has to stop, and the energy transition needs to be taken seriously. Geothermal energy has a key role here, especially in heat provision and storage. The most significant untapped geothermal potential is in the crystalline bedrock, with hotspots in tectonically stressed areas. To be able to harness this enormous potential under sustainable, predictable, efficient, and safe conditions, our scientific understanding has to be increased, and new science-based strategies need to be developed. Approved and funded by the Helmholtz Association, the GeoLaB (Geothermal Laboratory in the Crystalline Basement) underground research laboratory will address fundamental challenges in reservoir technology and borehole safety of deep geothermal projects. The project closes the gap between laboratory/small field-scale and reservoir scale and will give new insights into the coupled, nonlinear processes associated with high flow rates in crystalline reservoir rocks (expected flow rates > 1 l/s). Cutting-edge multi-disciplinary and multi-process research with visualization concepts, coupled with the development and application of new monitoring and analysis tools, will provide fundamental new insights, crucial for the environmentally sustainable exploitation of deep geothermal energy. ... mehrThe project officially started in January 2023 and is envisioned as an interdisciplinary and international research platform when built, but already the exploration and building phases will be used for state-of-the-art research and development. The geoscientific community is invited to take part in GeoLaB.