Rethinking Resources OMV Aktiengesellschaft

In this new season we will be talking about an entirely hot new topic: geothermal energy.

To find out all about how it works, why it isn't being used widely today, and whether it will be widely used tomorrow our host and journalist, Steve Chaid, is joined by Edith Haslinger. She is a senior scientist for sustainable thermal Energy systems at AIT, the Austrian Institute of Technology.

Everybody loves a treasure hunt, and it turns out there is a massive source of renewable energy buried right beneath Vienna. A project called „Deeep“ is on the verge of tapping into it and making the Austrian capital one of the world's first major cities to have geothermal energy become a big part of its future energy mix.
To find out more about this ambitious treasure hunt, the progress made so far and the promise for tomorrow our host and journalist Steve Chaid is joined by two guests in this episode. Peter Keglovic is the project manager for geothermal energy at „Wien Energie”. Bernhard Novotny is head of OMV's Geothermal Projects in Low Carbon Business.

What is the role of geothermal energy in the context of deep decarbonization and transitioning to a low carbon future? How much of Austria's energy needs will be covered by geothermal energy? How much of Europe's needs?

What are the distinctions between different geothermal systems? Why does OMV have to drill several kilometers deep for geothermal energy if geothermal heat can also be harvested several hundred meters deep? Is it necessary to establish new drilling sites every time, or is it possible to drill at existing locations?

Can geothermal energy be scaled up globally? In this episode we look at the true arrival of geothermal energy – that important last link that connects this infinite, renewable resource with population centers around the world.

Dr. Andreas Wagner, an energy transition expert at Systemiq, gives insights on a future beyond fossil fuel.