Our focus

Teaching, research and innovations for a sustainable energy system

The Department of Geothermal Energy and Reservoir Technology headed by Thomas Kohl works on the scientific and technological challenges of using geothermal energy. This base loadable and steerable energy source can be used for the sustainable production of heat and electricity. The subsurface also offers the possibility to store thermal energy within a sustainable energy system of fluctuating renewable energies. The development possibilities of geothermal energy are great. To take advantage of this potential in an efficient, economical and environmentally friendly way is the goal of the Department of Geothermal Energy and Reservoir Technology in teaching, research and development - both in the university and in Helmholtz research. The department has also acquired the Helmholtz large-scale infrastructures GeoLaB and DeepStor for this purpose.

Currently, we have three job offers in the areas of

  • Geodesy
  • Science communication
  • Scientific assistence.

Here you can find our current job offers.

Logo GeoLaB     Logo VESTA   Logo BrineMine    Logo INSIDE        

 

News

Jerome Azzola presenting a poster
Fluid circulation in geo-reservoirs @ EGU2024

You work on the numerical modeling of fluid circulation in geo-reservoirs AND on the geophysical monitoring to implement to assess the prognoses? Then, do not hesitate to submit an abstract to the session Emmanuel Gaucher convenes at EGU2024.

To the EGU session ERE5.6
Raspberry Milk Shakes vor dem MobiLabKIT
Geothermal and raspberry (milk) shakes

As part of the EUCOR MobiLab Roadshow and Science Week, we will present information on geothermal energy and seismology with refreshing raspberry milk shakes. Next event: Sunday, 15 October at Kronenplatz, Karlsruhe.

Zum Programm
Valentin Goldberg im SWR-StudioSWR/Goldberg
SWR Science Talk: Geothermal energy in Germany

Heating houses, manufacturing lithium batteries - geothermal energy offers interesting applications. Valentin Goldberg discusses these with moderator Julia Nestlen.

To the SWR mediathek
Schüler betrachten einen Raspberry Shake-SeismometerKIT/HBG
Seismology project at the Heisenberg-Gymnasium Bruchsal

Science meets school: Citizen Science project on comparative seismic measurements around a geothermal plant with Jerome Azzola as seismology expert.

Ausbreitung des Lithium-abgereicherten Thermalwassers um die Injektionsbohrung entlang der Störungszone nach 30 JahrenGrafik: Valentin Goldberg und Fabian Nitschke
Sustainable Lithium for many decades

KIT researchers see long-term prospects for lithium extraction with geothermal plants

To the German press release
Schneeaffen baden in einer Thermalquelle in NaganoCC BY-SA 3.0; commons.wikimedia.org
Podcast

Can we use thermal springs for heating? Valentin Goldberg explores this and other questions in the KIT podcast.

To the podcast
Probenahme BrineMine
Lithium production from thermal water / BrineMine

Cover-Story in the German-Chilean Newspaper Cóndor

To the article
Sampling in ChileKIT
Project completion of BrineMine

After four years of intensive research and development with project partners from Germany and Chile, the BMBF project BrineMine was successfully completed.

To the project video
Nitschke und Goldberg im SWR-StudioSWR
"Planet Wissen": Lithium hype at the Rhine - Chances and risks

As guests in a TV science magazine, Fabian Nitschke and Valentin Goldberg discuss chances and risks of the lithium production in Germany.

To the TV broadcast
Geometrical reservoir model created by GemPy as well as different realizations representing geometrical uncertainties created by the newly developed Python library GeoMeshPy.
GeoMeshPy

A Python library developed to bridge the gap between geological models and numerical solvers allowing for the structural uncertainty.

Geothermics 107 (2023) 102607
Preisverleihung Nov 2022
Valentin Goldberg receives GDMB award

At the meeting of the GDMB's Geothermal Energy Specialist Committee, Valentin Goldberg was awarded.

To the meeting report
Group picture at the Geothermal Congress 2022 in Berlin
Participation at the EGC 2022

19 persons from our group have participated in the European Geothermal Congress in Berlin and contributed with a booth and various scientific talks and posters.

Website of the EGC 2022
Logo GeoSchulB
Lern- und Lehrmaterial Geothermie

Im Projekt GeoSchulB erstellte der Bundesverband Geothermie mit KIT-Beteiligung vier interaktive Lernhefte zur Geothermie für die Unter- bis Oberstufe. 

Zum Lehrmaterial
Results of an analysis of the  multicomponent geothermometer mulT_predict.
MulT_predict

An optimised comprehensive multicomponent geothermometer.

Geothermics 105 (2022) 102548
Group picture of the excursion to the drill site of Deutsche ErdWärme in Graben-Neudorf
Exkursion to DEW in Graben-Neudorf

Excursion together with master students to the drill site of Deutsche ErdWärme (DEW) in Graben-Neudorf.

LinkedIn post of DEW
Schematic view of the GeoLaB setting
Underground research lab GeoLaB approved

As a joint research infrastructure of the research fields Energy and Earth and Environment, the Helmholtz Association invests in GeoLaB as a strategic development investment.

To the press release
Screenshot TV München ReportTV München
TV report on INSIDE

TV München reports on the BMWK funded project INSIDE, which is also carried out by KIT scientists.

Watch the TV report
Untertagelabor GeoLaB: Experimentelles Setup
Geothermal energy indispensable for the heat transition

Joint roadmap of Helmholtz-Centres und Fraunhofer-Institutes shows fields of action for sustainable heat supply

Press release
Volcano in Chile
„Lithium for the energy transition from thermal water"

Science podcast on Campus Radio about the BrineMine research project in the Chilean Andes

To the podcast (German)
Teststand zur Rohstoffextraktion aus geothermalen Wässern
Press release on the BrineMine project

Article on sustainable mineral and fresh water extraction from geothermal brines in Chile in the BrineMine project

Link to press release
Esmaeilpour, Morteza and Gholami Korzani, Maziar (2021) Analysis of interfacial instabilities in immiscible displacement flows
Analysis of interfacial instabilities in immiscible displacement flows

Assessment of the impact of interfacial instabilities on sweeping power of Newtonian fluids to immiscibly displace power-law materials.

Processes, 9(5), 742 (2021)
Esmaeilpour, Morteza and Gholami Korzani, Maziar (2021) Employing electro- and magneto-hydrodynamics to enhance the immiscible displacement of non-Newtonian fluids caused by the injection of Newtonian fluids
Imposing external forces to enhance immiscible displacement flows

Employing electro- and magneto-hydrodynamics to enhance the immiscible displacement of non-Newtonian fluids caused by the injection of Newtonian fluids.

J of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 196 108044 (2021)
Stochastic analysis of three-dimensional fracture flow to quantify geometric and flow-related uncertainties in simplified flow laws (accepted for publication in GRL).
Nonlinear flow conditions in fractures

Stochastic analysis of three-dimensional fracture flow to quantify geometric and flow-related uncertainties in simplified flow laws (accepted for publication in GRL).

Geophysical Research Letters (2021)
Stable isotope and anthropogenic tracer signature of waters in an Andean geothermal system
Geochemistry of waters in an Andean geothermal system

Usage of stable isotope and anthropogenic tracer signature for the geochemical characterization of waters in an Andean geothermal system.

Appl. Geochemistry 128, 104953 (2021)
Modeling results of high-temperature heat storage show the propagation of the heat front around the hot well.
High-temperature heat storage in depleted oil reservoirs

Assessment of the potential of high-temperature heat storage in depleted oil reservoirs of the Upper Rhine Graben utilizing thermohydraulic numerical modeling.

Energies, 13(24), 6510 (2020)
Laura Spitzmüller (AGW - Geothermal Energy and Reservoir Technology) is awarded with the Christian-Hecht-Preis 2020 in the framwwork of the Praxisforum Geothermie.
Christian-Hecht-Preis 2020

Laura Spitzmüller is awarded with the Christian-Hecht-Preis 2020 in the framework of the Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern for her excellent Master thesis.

Praxisforum Geothermie Bayern
Schematische Skizze der DeepStor-Infrastruktur PhaseIII mit Bohrungen und FernwärmenetzKIT
DeepStor Kick-off

The infrastructure project DeepStor as demonstrator for high-temperature thermal storage in the underground was officially launched.

More...
Geochemical sampling in Chile
At the edge of the volcano: A research trip in times of Corona

While the world holds its breath because of the corona crisis, Valentin Goldberg is on the remote volcano Tolhuaca in Chile - and at first, he doesn't notice anything.

At the edge of the volcano: A research trip in times of Corona
A multi-stage filtering concept for the evaluation of maximal reservoir performance considering reservoir longevity is introduced.
Numerical based filtering concept for reservoir performance enhancement

A multi-stage filtering concept for the evaluation of maximal reservoir performance considering reservoir longevity is introduced.

J of Petroleum Science and Engineering 190 (2020)
Numerical model of the fracture network of the Soultz reservoir.
Extensive numerical study of the Soultz reservoir

A transient 3D model enables transport modeling of both production wells, characterizes hydraulic conditions and pathways and provides a broad understanding of the reservoir flow zones.

Geothermics 84 (2020)
Quantification of fluid flow in rough fractures.
Quantification of fluid flow in rough fractures

Stochastic study of flow anisotropy and channelling in open rough fractures.

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering 53, 233-249 (2020)
MulT_predict: A multicomponent geothermometer for reservoir temperature estimation.
MulT_predict

A multicomponent geothermometer for reservoir temperature estimation.

Geothermal Energy 8, 2 (2020)
Master excursion to Iceland 2019
Iceland excursion 2019

Starting at Reykjavik, 24 master students explored Iceland and experienced the natural forces of the island up close.

Report: A song of ice and fire
Geochemical characterization of the geothermal system Villarrica in Southern Chile.
Villarrica - Southern Chile Geochemical characterization of the geothermal system

Improved determination of reservoir temperatures using a novel methodology for geothermometers evaluating the fluid under in-situ conditions.

Geothermics, 74, 217-225 (2018)
Experimental setup of GeoLaBKIT
Acceptability of geothermal installations: A geoethical concept for GeoLaB

Analysis of the social response to recent geothermal development and identification of the precondition for public acceptability of geothermal projects.

Geothermics, 73, 133-145 (2018)
Results of a fault zone analysis in the crystalline basement of the Black Forest.
Identification and spatial arrangement of fault zones

Lineament analysis of digital elevation models and satellite imagery in comparison - fault zone analysis in the crystalline basement of the Black Forest.

J. Struct. Geol., 108, 256-268 (2018)