Insheim

Key Specs

Full Name: Insheim

Development Phase: Operational

Installed Capacity: 4.8 MW

Operational Capacity: 4.3 MW

Investment:  

Completion Date: 2013

Location: Insheim

Country: Germany

Region: Europe and Middle East

The geothermal power plant in Insheim is the second privatiwirtschaftliche generation facility in the Upper Rhine Graben. The project developer Bestec has implemented the experience of Landau here.

The conditions at the site Insheim are low, as in about 3.8 kilometer deep hot groundwater was opened with a temperature of 165 degrees Celsius. The complex is located a few kilometers south of Landau directly on the A65 motorway and is operated by the company Pfalzwerke geofuture.

Planning for the deep geothermal power plant began in 2007 by the company HotRock. After drilling the first hole of the project developer Bestec Pfalzwerke took over the project. In April 2009, the second hole was drilled to 3,850 meters (MD). Due to lower drilling success a sidetrack was drilled, the original hole but not filled, so that now stand for the reinjection a hole with two poor.

The test phase and the construction of the power plant lasted until October 2012. On 13 November 2012, the plant was officially put into operation. In mid-February 2013, came to a pump damage caused by the operation had to be stopped for now. A few days later, a clearly perceptible tremor of magnitude 2.0 occurred. It is likely that the reservoir was too strongly by the shutdown of the system and thereby came to a reduction reaction of the mountain. The repairs to the pump had been delayed by the inaccessible location in 15 feet of water, so that the power plant was only three months later reconnected to the network. According to the Pfalzwerke the power plant is currently serving approximately 8,000 households with energy from Deep geothermal energy. (Tiefgeothermie)

The boreholes of the geothermal power station in Insheim reach deep down into the earth. They create an access to water that is more than 165 B:C which is extracted from the earthbs layers at a depth of 3,600 metres. All core components of this forward-looking plant, such as the turbine, the generator, the heat exchanger and the evaporator, are secured with an insulated lightning protection system from OBO.

Pfalzwerke geofuture GmbH, the operator, assigned the company Adams Blitzschutz-Systeme GmbH to develop an insulated lightning protection system following the conducting of a risk assessment. It was mandatory to develop the protection system of the plant according to the technical regulations for operational safety TRBS 2152, part 3 bDangerous explosive atmospheres bb. In all areas of the building, except in the transformer station, Adams Blitzschutz-Systeme GmbH implemented the directives together with OBO, thereby adopting OBObs insulated conductor isCon and the interception rod system isFang. (OBO)