Consortium

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg, Germany is the largest solar research institute in Europe. With a staff of about 1400, we are committed to promoting a sustainable, economic, secure and socially just energy supply system based on renewable energy sources. We contribute to this through our main research areas of energy provision, energy distribution, energy storage and energy utilization. Through outstanding research results, successful industrial projects, spin-off companies and global collaborations, we are shaping the sustainable transformation of the energy system.

In the business areas of Photovoltaics, Energy Efficient Buildings, Solar Thermal Power Plants and Industrial Processes, Hydrogen Technologies and Electrical Energy Storage as well as Power Electronics, Grids and Smart Systems, the Institute develops materials, components, systems and processes. For this purpose, we have an excellent laboratory infrastructure at our disposal. In addition, we perform analyses, carry out studies, provide consultations and offer our clients testing and certification procedures.

The ISE Water Treatment and Material Separation Working Group, WTS, has been working in the field of sea and brackish water desalination with renewable energies to promote the Water – Energy – Food nexus for 20 years www.ise.fraunhofer.de/de/geschaeftsfelder/solarthermische-krafte-und-industrieverfahren/wasseraufbereitung-und- fabric separation.html . To this end, various technologies such as solar thermally driven membrane distillation and PV-powered reverse osmosis were developed, and tested in the field in more than 15 demonstration plants in eight countries. In recent years, the focus of the work has increasingly shifted to the area of ​​industrial wastewater treatment, the treatment of brines and the extraction of valuable materials from liquid media to improve circularity and sustainable production.

Teaching, research and innovations for a sustainable energy system

The Department of Geothermal Energy and Reservoir Technology headed by Prof. Thomas Kohl works on the scientific and technological challenges of using geothermal energy. This base-load-capable and controllable energy source can be used for the sustainable production of heat and power. The subsurface also offers the possibility to store thermal energy within a sustainable energy system of fluctuating renewable energies. The potential for development of geothermal energy is great. The goal of our department is to take advantage of this potential in an efficient, economical and environmentally friendly way.

Hydroisotop GmbH is a hydrogeochemical consulting company with its own laboratory (39 employees), which has worked in the field of geothermal energy for 40 years. Hydroisotop is i.a. specialized in sampling, analyses and interpretation of deep thermal groundwaters as well as in the evaluation of potential geochemical processes within the primary water cycle in geothermal plants. Within MALEG, Hydroisotop will be responsible for the collection of hydrochemical and operational data, for the initial sampling of thermal water in Unterschleißheim and Turkey and for the analyses of thermal water and gases from the initial samplings and the demonstrator experiments. Further, Hydroisotop will be responsible for the evaluation and interpretation of the hydrochemical and operational data sets.

hydroFilt GmbH is a consulting company specialized in water treatment. Therefore, broad know-how of water chemistry and influencing hydrochemical processes is available. HydroFilt works also in the sector of water usage and develops concepts for multiple uses of different water types. For MALGEG hydroFilt will be involved in the compilation of data of the geothermal plant in Haag, the initial sampling and supervision of the demonstrator plant in Haag. It will further be involved in the determination of water treatment processes and in the validation, calibration and evaluation of the models and output of the machine learning tools.

The Geosaic GmbH is a young company that aims to complement and automate traditional methods of interpreting geoscientific data using digital tools. This is to be achieved through a deep specialization in new Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms. The use of AI enables geoscientific experts to make even more effective use of their valuable working time.

In the “MALEG” project, Geosaic GmbH collaborates with experts from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) to develop an AI test environment, AI methods, and an AI interface for analyzing geochemical data and production data from geothermal plants.

By integrating AI into the analysis processes, geoscientific experts will be able to interpret data faster and more accurately, recognize relevant patterns and correlations, and make better decisions regarding geothermal plants. The AI test environment allows for the evaluation and customization of various AI models and algorithms to achieve the best possible results.

The long-term goal of this project for Geosaic GmbH is to further advance the use of AI in geoscience and enable new insights and innovative solutions for geothermal plants. Through the automation and support of data analysis with AI, Geosaic GmbH can strengthen its position as a pioneer in modern geoscientific research.

Transmark Renewables is a family owned international company, based in Amsterdam. Specializing in the development and production of renewable baseload geothermal energy. With operating companies in Chile, Türkiye and the Netherlands.
Transmark Turkey is operating the geothermal power plant in Çanakkale, Türkiye. The region around Tuzla is one of the most promising areas for geothermal power production in Türkiye. Several geothermal research wells were drilled by MTA (Mineral Research and Exploration Institute) during the 70’s to 90’s confirming very high temperatures and permeability in reservoirs. Extensive surveys, well testing and simulations indicate a resource of 80 – 160 MWe in the license area. With approximately 20 wells drilled and with only four operational geothermal powerplants near Tuzla in 2021, the region remains relatively under-developed.