Geothermal Power Plant - Garching a.d. Alz (Bruck)

The geothermal facility at Garching a.d. Alz (Bruck) represents a state-of-the-art solution for renewable energy production in Germany. Our main services for this project focused on the delivery of a turnkey geothermal power plant utilizing a specialized two-stage Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) process. The plant is engineered to process 125 l/s of thermal water at 122 °C, converting geothermal heat into sustainable electrical energy for the public grid, while simultaneously providing capacity for district heating water. 

Requirements

To meet the high performance and environmental standards of the Bruck location, the project follows rigorous technical requirements to ensure maximum energy yield and minimal local impact:

• Silent cooling system: cooling is facilitated by water from the neighboring Alz-channel. This provides a stable process with less need for regulation compared to air-cooling and allows for an unusually silent operation.
• Operational redundancy: to guarantee very high availability, the plant features consistent redundancy for all critical equipment, including ORC pumps and a multi-line water cooling system (3 x 50%).
• Grid integration: reliable conversion and feed-in of electrical energy to the regional power grid.

Technical features:

The plant stands out due to its advanced technical features and innovative mechanical engineering choices:

• Two-stage ORC process: includes two preheaters connected in series, resulting in an exceptionally high electrical efficiency and energy yield.
• Radial turbine technology: the use of a robust, aerodynamically optimized radial turbine instead of a standard axial turbine significantly reduces maintenance requirements while increasing durability.
• Water cooling stability: the uniformity of water as a cooling medium ensures a stable thermal process that requires fewer adjustments than traditional systems.

By integrating these sophisticated mechanical systems, the Garching a.d. Alz plant serves as a benchmark for efficient geothermal energy generation and sustainable industrial design within the European energy market.