From 30 June to 2 July 2026, the INTERSTORES project participated in the PUSH-IT Summer School on Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES), hosted by Fraunhofer IEG in Bochum, Germany.
The three-day programme brought together around 30 researchers, higher-education representatives and thermal energy storage experts for a combination of lectures and interactive workshops. Participants explored different aspects of underground thermal energy storage, exchanging knowledge on technologies, practical applications and the role of subsurface storage in future energy systems.
The programme featured contributions from experts including Martin Bloemendal, Andres Gonzalez Quiros, Max Ohagen, Nadezda Meier, Ergin Kükrer, Bram van der Heijde, Serge Santoo, Iain Soutar and Elke Mugova. Their lectures and workshops created opportunities for technical discussion and the exchange of experience across research institutions and related European initiatives.
For INTERSTORES’s representative Dominik Müller, Research Associate (MLU), participation in the summer school provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections with the wider underground thermal energy storage community. Networking with researchers and professionals working on complementary technologies supports the exchange of knowledge and helps identify opportunities for future cooperation. Dominik Müller, Research Associat from MLU, had an opportunity to participate in this event.
Events such as the PUSH-IT Summer School are particularly relevant to INTERSTORES, which is developing cost- and environmentally efficient solutions for seasonal thermal energy storage. Collaboration between projects and research communities helps advance shared knowledge, address technical challenges and accelerate the transition from research results to practical energy solutions.
The event also contributed to greater awareness of current developments in underground heat storage and reinforced the importance of international cooperation in developing flexible, large-scale solutions for the decarbonisation of heating and cooling systems.
