• Pressemitteilung BoxID 515548

Successful launch of first European EGS Conference

The inaugural 'International Conference on Enhanced Geothermal Systems (ICEGS)' showed that many new EGS projects are already in progress and that there is a drive in advancing EGS technology / Presentations are available as download or CD

(PresseBox) (Freiburg, ) About two weeks ago the first international conference on the deployment of EGS technology in deep geothermal projects in Europe successfully closed. The International Conference on Enhanced Geothermal Systems (ICEGS) in Freiburg, saw participants and speakers from Germany, Israel, Switzerland, France, the United States, Slovakia, Norway, the Netherlands and Japan discussing experiences and the outlook of existing and planned EGS as well as the current need for research and development. For those who were not able to participate, the presentations can also be ordered. The download of the lectures costs 100 Euro plus VAT, a CD including all lectures is available for 150 Euro plus VAT.


The conference highlighted again that there is a large set of experiences from EGS projects. Examples covered included the projects Le-Mayet-de-Montagne and Soultz-sous-Forêts in France, the Fenton Hill project started in the 1970s in the U.S. and the Innamincka Deeps project in the Cooper Basin. The latter was presented by Heinz Holl of Australian Geodynamics via live video conference. There are also projects in development in Switzerland and the Alsace in France - despite the experiences of seismic events in Basel in 2006, which meant the preliminary end to the project there.

After the projects presentations five experts from the U.S., France and Germany provided an overview on the state of technology and the need for further research. In addition to the geomechanical processes, Emmanual Gaucher of the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology and Stefan Baisch of company q-con, particularly covered the experiences with induced seismicity in the Australian Cooper Basin, in Basel, Soultz-sous-Forêts and Landau. Both speakers recommended that the size of stimulated fractures to be decreased and that smaller area should be stimulated instead. Furthermore it is essential that the individual project communicates extensively with the public.

In her presentation, Simona Regenspurg of GFZ Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam described the impact of geothermal stimulation on the environment. She particularly highlighted the possible impact on ground water levels as well as necessary security precautions to protect against critical gas emissions, liquids and other elements that could possibly be resolved through stimulation activities in the deep rock formations.

In his keynote at the closing discussion, Thomas Kölbel of EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg clarified on how future EGS projects can be realized from the perspective of a utility. Particularly he mentioned that heat-only projects should not be excluded as option. In the final discussion the clear message came across that further research is needed, but also that data of real projects needs to be generated. Various interesting and new data and details are expected from the U.S. based EGS projects, but also from the Innamincka Deeps project in Australia. China should also be on the radar, so Professor Ladislaus Rybach of ETH Zürich, as there are several projects planned.

Accompanying to the conference, an international poster exhibition of current EGS projects was featured. Projects presented included: the project of Stadtwerke Münster at Lüneburger Heide/ Germany, the ECOGI project (Exploitation of Geothermal Heat for Industry) in Rittershoffen/France, the CT-Must-Project of the International Geothermal Center Bochum/ Germany, the Paralana project of Petratherm in South Australia, as well as the Parenco Papermil and Hoogeveen projects of the Dutch Consulting and Engineering company IF Technology.

The presentations of the ICEGS 2012 have been made available on www.icegs.eu

>> Contact For further questions, please contact Marcus Brian, Goethestr. 4, D- 79100 Freiburg, Germany, Phone: +49 (0)761-38 42 10 01, Fax: +49 (0)761-38 42 10 05, marcus.brian@enerchange.de

>> Background Information

"Enhanced Geothermal Systems"are geothermal reservoirs in several thousands metres depth, whose porosity will be increased with water pressure to improve the yield of deep thermal heat by the heat exchange principle.

Enerchange is a specialised agency on research and consulting services in renewable energy. The business activities of the agency are researching and analysing of sector trends and information, organising of industry events, and support of companies seeking and evaluating renewable energy projects.

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam - Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ is the German research centre for Earth Sciences and investigates "System Earth" at locations all over the world with all the geological, physical, chemical and biological processes which occur at its surface and in its interior.

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