Geological Underground will Contribute Significantly to the Implementation of the Energy Policy Towards Renewables in Germany

The demands to utilize the geological underground are increasing. In addition to traditional production of raw materials or groundwater extraction for drinking water supply the subsurface will most likely also be used to implement the policy objectives in the context of the energy transition to renewables. These include e.g. the use of geothermal energy, storage of energy from renewable sources, and possibly long-term storage of CO2 to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This paper addresses the question which contribution can be expected from the geological underground for the transition to the new energy era in Germany.