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GeoLaB: the research infrastructure

The GeoLaB rock laboratory will be built in the crystalline bedrock of the Black Forest or Odenwald. An approximately 1 km long tunnel will open up investigation possibilities at depths of up to around 400 m.


Crystalline rock is the most common reservoir rock in the world, which facilitates the transfer of knowledge to new geothermal projects.

[Translate to Englisch:] Querschnitt durch den Oberrheingraben und den angrenzenden Schwarzwald bzw. Odenwald. In diesen Gebirgen wurde das geothermisch nutzbare Tiefengestein des Oberrheingrabens in tektonischen Prozessen über Millionen von Jahren in die Höhe gehoben. Hier soll GeoLaB entstehen. In diesem Untertagelabor können Prozesse, die normalerweise tief im Untergrund verborgen sind, experimentell unter kontrollierten Bedingungen untersucht und in Raum und Zeit beobachtet werden.

An interdisciplinary research platform

GeoLaB is designed to enable interdisciplinary and cross-process research with computer visualization in a fully digitized laboratory. As a digital twin, the Virtual GeoLaB supports planning and experiments, analysis and communication right from the start.

Collaborations with complementary underground laboratories such as Bedretto or the FORGE geothermal research project create important synergies.

GeoLaB supports a CO2-neutral energy future by serving as a nucleus for research and technology development. The research infrastructure aims to interlink science, business, politics and society.

Virtual Geo-Lab

[Translate to Englisch:] TESSIN VISLab © UFZ

"With GeoLaB, we also want to set new standards for the digitalization of underground laboratories. Virtual reality methods will be used to make the complex processes underground visible and understandable."

Prof. Dr. Olaf Kolditz, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ

A virtual reality concept supports the development of the complex infrastructure concept right from the start. The starting point is the UFZ's VISLab infrastructure.

Virtual GeoLaB as a digital twin of the real laboratory:

  • Infrastructure planning and construction
  • Planning, execution and analysis of experiments
  • Communication and visual analytics.