| Abstract |
Collaboration between participating countries within the IEA Geothermal TCP (WG1) over the past 29 years has resulted in many studies into geothermal environmental and social awareness issues. Solving these issues has helped advance development of new geothermal resources and sustain production from existing projects through scenario modelling of appropriate development strategies. This paper consolidates the learnings from sharing of advanced monitoring technology and best-practice procedures for mitigation or avoidance of identified adverse effects. The goals of the group undertaking this collaboration were: a) to encourage the sustainable development of geothermal energy resources in an economic and environmentally responsible manner; b) to quantify and balance any adverse and beneficial impacts that geothermal energy development may have on the environment; and c) to identify ways of avoiding, remedying or mitigating adverse effects. Tasks have included: 1) address impacts on natural features by monitoring surface thermal feature and ecosystem changes and devising techniques to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts, while encouraging beneficial effects; 2) rectify discharge and reinjection problems, including: induced seismicity, gas emissions (CO2 & H2S), chemical contamination of water, subsidence, scaling and corrosion, by adjustment of treatment options and reinjection strategies; 3) develop methods of impact mitigation and environmental procedures through an analysis of issues, procedures, efficient policies, protocols, and effective compliance; 4) develop successful strategies to address social and environmental effects; and 5) sustain utilization by undertaking long-term reservoir simulations, optimizing future operational strategies, improving recharge factors and recovery times, improving reservoir performance, and applying holistic sustainability indicators. |