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OVERALL INTRODUCTION TO GEOTHERMAL ENERGY |
Geothermal energy in today’s context: a multiform energy
The climate protection challenge has now become an issue for the mass conscience. A major trump card in controlling the emission of greenhouse gases is the use of renewable energies to provide an energy mix, and it is here that geothermal energy should find its place. However, it has to be admitted that despite the many and diversified production achievements of geothermal energy, it is a resource that in France suffers from a diffusion deficit and consequently a lack of public awareness. |
 Heat production
The prime contribution of geothermal energy is heat production. Two channels exist: the supply of district heating networks from deep geothermal resources (about 1000 m), and the use of heat pump systems from shallow geothermal resources (0 – 150 m) for "domestic" (individual houses: heating, cooling and hot water) and intermediate (blocks of flats and tertiary sector buildings: heating and cooling) supply.
Both types of technology are sufficiently advanced that they can be deployed at costs often less than those of other renewable energies. Thus the Ministry of the Interior's Pluriannual Programme of Heat Investment is anticipating a growth of the geothermal contribution from 2.7 million Megawatt-hours in 2005 to 10.5 million Megawatt-hours (1.05 million housing equivalents) by 2015, making it the second source of renewable heat, after biomass (+ 800,000 housing equivalents). |
Electricity production
The volcanic island environment is very promising for the production of geothermal electricity in France's insular overseas Départements. These islands are highly dependent on electricity from fossil fuels, with soaring prices. Geothermal energy is the only renewable energy that is basically capable of contributing, at a competitive price, to the production of electricity. The Bouillante power plant in Guadeloupe , which is operated by a BRGM subsidiary, already produces 15 MWe. A great deal of ongoing exploration in Guadeloupe, Réunion, and Dominica opens up the prospect of exceeding 120 MWe by 2015, which would represent a major part of the electricity requirement for these Départements .
EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) technology offers prospects for the long-term future on a broader geographic scale, by enabling the production of both electricity and heat over a large part of the globe. In France , for example, Alsace and Limagne are particularly favourable. The current development of this technology is not yet sufficient for its short- or medium-term contribution to electricity production to be quantified.
The "Géothermie perspective" (Geothermal outlook) internet site provides information on all these types of geothermal energy.
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