In its Strategy 2030, OMV, the international integrated oil, gas and chemical company headquartered in Vienna, has set itself the goal of expanding its low carbon business and thus its range of low-CO2 energy. In the field of geothermal energy, OMV sees its strength in its extensive expertise and experience above and below ground, existing deposits and infrastructure as well as the strong market growth in Europe. It is expected that the share of renewable energy generation including geothermal energy by OMV will increase to up to 9 TWh by 2030.

The Aderklaa 96 project (Source: OMV)

“In the OMV Strategy 2030, the low carbon business plays a key role, particularly geothermal energy. We use the existing know-how to advance the energy transition and pave the way for a more sustainable life,” Alfred Stern, OMV Chairman and CEO.

Among other things, OMV is working on two development projects in the field of geothermal energy: one is located in Austria, the other in Germany, where OMV is working with partners.

In Austria, OMV is conducting a funding test to analyze the geothermal potential in the Vienna Basin. Geologically, this test takes place in the subsoil of the Vienna Basin, in the main dolomite. The existing OMV probe Aderklaa 96 will be opened up with the help of a so-called "workover" at a depth of about 2,800 m to carry out the test. Formation water (i.e. water contained in the rock pores) is produced, temporarily stored above ground in closed containers and then returned to the formation. The goal of the production test is to determine important reservoir parameters and to obtain samples of the formation water in order to determine whether this formation is suitable for the generation of geothermal energy.

In Germany, OMV has a 50% stake in a geothermal exploration project "Project Thermo" in Lower Saxony. A small aircraft takes gravity and magnetic measurements over an area of ​​around 5,000 km² to obtain geological information. This information will be used to assess geothermal energy potential and is part of a comprehensive evaluation of future geothermal activity in the area. OMV's partner in this project is ZeroGeo Energy GmbH (50%).

According to the OMV experts, the geothermal conditions in the Vienna Basin are suitable for use as a direct heat transfer medium. In northern Germany, geothermal energy could be used to generate electricity.

KeyFacts Energy: OMV Austria country profile   l   KeyFacts Energy: Geothermal news