2nd GeoLaB Scientific Workshop

Karlsruhe, 12 March 2026 (starting at 09:00) – 13 March 2026 (ending at 15:00) | Call for abstracts open until Feb 15 | Registration open until Feb 28

GeoLaB is being developed as a future underground research laboratory and collaborative research platform for geothermal energy in fractured crystalline rock. The scientific GeoLaB consortium, the Helmholtz Centers KIT, GFZ, and UFZ in cooperation with TU Darmstadt, invites the scientific community to actively contribute to this process.

GeoLaB is currently in the final stage of the exploration phase. As part of this phase, two deep boreholes have been drilled into the crystalline rock of the Tromm in the Odenwald (Germany), two seismic campaigns, and numerous in-situ measurements and laboratory experiments have been conducted. These investigations provide essential geological, geophysical, hydrogeological, and petrophysical data for evaluating the site’s potential as a future underground research laboratory. A digital twin has been established, integrating extensive datasets from the beginning (GeoDT Project).

While the site evaluation is being finalized, GeoLaB is being further developed conceptually in parallel. Scientific studies and simulations, experimental concepts, and infrastructure designs for a potential underground laboratory are being explored.

Workshop Program

The workshop program can be found here.

Workshop Objectives

• Discuss and interpret data from the exploration phase
• Identify key scientific challenges and opportunities in geothermal systems hosted in crystalline rock
• Develop innovative concepts for experiments, modeling approaches, digitalization, underground infrastructures, and public dialogue
• Contribute to the scientific roadmap of GeoLaB

Keynote Lectures

The workshop will feature inspiring keynote lectures by:

• Prof. Dr. Eva Schill, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Dr. Reza Jalali, RWTH Aachen University
• Dr. Marian Hertrich, ETH Zürich
• Dr. Fabian Uth, Geothermie Allianz Bayern

Their contributions will provide strategic perspectives on geothermal research, underground laboratories, modeling, drilling technologies, and the role of research infrastructures in the energy transition.

Scientific Themes

We invite contributions on (but not limited to) the following themes:

• Development of standardized workflows for exploration and site selection of underground research laboratories
• Geological, geophysical, and petrophysical characteristics of the Tromm Massif in the Odenwald region
• Innovative construction strategies for underground facilities in crystalline environments
• AI-assisted drilling technologies for wells and tunnels
• Digital Twin concepts and AI-based drilling simulators integrating numerical modeling
• Thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-(bio)chemical (THMC) simulations to support experimental designs
• Controlled stimulation experiments aimed at maximizing the contact surface of the host rock
• Innovative geothermal applications tested in experimental facilities such as GeoLaB
• Public engagement strategies for research infrastructures

Publication Opportunity

Authors of accepted abstracts will have the opportunity to submit a full-length manuscript to a dedicated Article Collection in the peer-reviewed journal Geothermal Energy, associated with the workshop.

Explore GeoLaB

🎬 Get an impression of the GeoLaB exploration phase here: Watch the video.