Drilling work for geothermal energy begins at Berliner Platz

From Monday, 17 November 2025, drilling work will begin on Berliner Platz to use geothermal energy for the renovated town hall. The work will be carried out in four construction phases and is expected to last until April 2026.

During the first construction phase, around twelve car parks in the immediate area in front of the town hall construction site will have to be closed. This closure will initially remain in place until the end of January 2026, while the other parts of Berliner Platz will remain open to traffic and continue to be available for parking.

The plan is to insert a total of 65 geothermal probes into the ground to a depth of around 130 metres. The specialist company commissioned will drill the boreholes with a diameter of around 152 millimetres. Once the pipes have been installed, the boreholes are filled with a thermally conductive cement-clay suspension. The probes are then connected to the heat pump technology in the town hall via collector shafts. This system extracts heat from the ground in winter, which is used to heat the town hall via a heat pump. In summer, the stored energy is used to cool the building. This should significantly reduce both energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in the long term.

The drilling rig used fulfils all current environmental and safety standards and is equipped with exhaust gas purification, noise protection and other safety devices. The work does not cause any vibrations and is carried out as quietly as possible. According to the preparatory investigations, the drilling work is not expected to cause any structural damage. There are also no effects on the groundwater or the surrounding environment.

The subsoil at Berliner Platz offers favourable geological conditions for the project: The upper 20 metres consist of sands and gravel from the Bocholter Aa-Rinne, followed by fine-grained layers below, which are well suited for the use of geothermal energy.