GEOTHERM - Geoth. Reservoir Processes: Research towards the creation and sustainable use of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

• Unité de recherche: OFEN
• Numéro de projet: 103247

Description succincte (Anglais)

Geothermal energy is a local resource underlying most continental regions that can make a major contribution to heating and electricity generation in Switzerland, without significant CO2 emissions. Extracting this energy from so-called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) at 3-6km depth requires novel technologies that have not been fully tested. The project GEOTHERM aims to contribute to the quest for a sustainable energy strategy by coordinating multidisciplinary research towards successful utilisation of deep geothermal heat reservoirs. New techniques for the interpretation of a wide range of geoscientific data will provide detailed insight into the physical and chemical conditions in the deep reservoir rocks, with a major focus on subsurface processes in Basel and other EGS sites in Europe. Computer simulation techniques will be developed to aid in creating the flow paths for in-jected water, and to predict the long-term behaviour of Enhanced Geothermal Systems during energy extraction over years to decade s. In the broader context of sustainable de-velopment, GEOTHERM will also investigate how usage of these geothermal resources in urban areas can be optimised.