Environmental Aspects Using Deep Geothermal Energy - Analysis and Evaluation of Local Environmental Impacts

摘要

According to the political will of the German Government stated within various energy related directives, power as well as power and heat provision from geothermal energy should make a larger contri-bution within the energy System in thefuture. Thefocus ofthese efforts is clearly on the environmental sound and climate neutral cov-erageofthe German energy demand. On this background, environmental impacts due to energy provision from geothermal energy gain significant importance because addi-tional costs compared to the use of fossil fuel energy (presently) connected with energy supply from the deep Underground are only acceptable by the society if geothermal energy contributes significantly and transpar- ently to the protection ofthe local and global environment. Therefore the objective of this article is to identify and evaluate local environmental impacts related to geothermal power (and heat)provision. In doingso, itbe-comes evident ihat the potential impacts are regulated and controlled. Therefore they vary within the limitations defined by the legal administration. Only for restrictedly con-trollable micro-seismic activity potentially caused by stimulating the Underground, this is notfully true. The use of deep geothermal energy is therefore in general characterised by fairly low impacts on the local environment. Thus,from a local viewpoint, geothermal energy can indeed contribute to a sus-tainable energy System in thefuture.