The Insheim geothermal power plant operated by Vulcan Energie Ressourcen GmbH celebrates its 10th anniversary in October. Since 2012, the power plant has been supplying residents of the region with sustainable geothermal energy. A total of 255,000 kilowatt hours of renewable electricity have been produced, saving approximately 100,000 tons of CO2.
The goal of Vulcan Energie Ressourcen GmbH is to further increase the efficiency of the power plant in the coming years, thereby increasing the share of clean energy in the region. Vulcan also plans to supply the surrounding communities with climate-neutral heat. Corresponding conversion measures for the power plant are planned for next year.
“Especially in times of energy crisis, it is crucial to the region that we operate a reliable, high output power plant in Insheim,” says Thorsten Weimann, Vulcan COO and managing director of the operating company Natürlich Insheim GmbH. “Geothermal energy represents an important building block in the transformation towards an independent and sustainable energy system in Germany. Communities can use geothermal energy to open up new industries, create jobs, and supply citizens, industry and commerce with energy free of fossil fuels.”
Vulcan took over the Insheim geothermal power plant from Pfalzwerke AG at the beginning of 2022. Since then, it has been operated by “Natürlich Insheim GmbH”, a member of the Vulcan Group. In addition to expanding power generation in Insheim, Vulcan also plans to produce lithium from the thermal water in a climate-neutral manner. From 2025, the company plans to produce the lithium on an industrial scale and supply it to the European automotive and battery industries. Vulcan is already operating a pilot area for lithium production at the power plant. The company will also present the current progress on this project at the European Geothermal Congress (EGC) from October 17 to 21 in Berlin.