New seismic event puts a longer stop on geothermal project in Alsace, France | Think GeoEnergy

Drilling rig at the Vendenheim project site, Alsace / France (Source: Fonroche)

With a small earthquake in the Alsace region in France and work contributed by a geothermal developer, there is hope for its continuation and also calls for the project to be halted.

A locally reported new earthquake that contributed to the activities of a geothermal energy project near Strasbourg in the Alsace region of France, has once again struck the wider region.

With past events in 2019 and this year, there are now calls by several elected local officials, including the president of Eurometropolis in Strasbourg, for a halt to the Fonroche project in Vendenheim. The project is supposed to provide electricity and heating to dozens of people. Thousands of families.

Seismologists quickly classified this tremor as a “trigger event,” meaning that it was triggered by human activity. The epicenter is below a well used by Fonroche for its deep geothermal power plant, which was installed between Vendenheim and Reichstett in the north of the agglomeration.

Even in the wake of one of these earthquakes, which reached a magnitude of 3.1 on November 12, 2019, the geothermal plant activity was suspended. On October 1, the Lower Rhine Province allowed “tracking tests” to be conducted to determine whether the shock was related to geothermal activity, as claimed by seismologists at the Earth Science and Observatory (EOST) or of natural origin as they argued. By Fonroche. These tests caused about ten tremors in one month.

Friday morning’s earthquake, for which Fonroch is fully responsible this time, caused the total shutdown of the geothermal power plant. It will be in effect in 3 weeks to a month, which is the time that will accompany the pressure drop in the “safe flow” of the aquifer. This period could be accompanied by new jolts, the strength of which ranges “between two and three”, according to Jean-Philippe Soleil, director of Fonroche Géothermie. The first aftershock was felt at 11:10 am, with a magnitude of 2.6.

For the Director of Seismology Research at CNRS, Member of the Earth Science and Observatory (EOST) School and Observatory, Jan Schmittpool, the pressure of the water injected into this well is the reason.

“At the Soultz power plant, which is sailing, the water is sent to 20 bars. On the Vendenheim side the site is supposed to be inactive, but the water is sent to 60 bars. We learned this on Friday morning. If the pressure does not drop, it is More similar earthquakes are expected and a bigger shock cannot be ruled out. ”

Director of Fonroche Géothermie, Jean-Philippe Soleil, recognized the severe blow but does not believe that this new earthquake puts an end to the deep geothermal energy in Eurometropolis: “All over Europe, geothermal power plants are operating with a micro-seismic activity that is not felt by the population. It pumps hot water to one place to bring it back again, reliable but it requires some adjustments at start-up, which is difficult at times. Here we are at a difficult start. “

As for the rest, he wants to “think about possible options and share them with the region.” It offers technical solutions: “additional cleaning, different jobs, different positioning…” but “for the time being, this is technical and scientific work”. The time for debate and political support will come next. The complete closure of the site will last at least several months.

Fonroche Géothermie, a subsidiary of the Fonroche group specializing in renewable energies, has invested 90 million euros in this equipment, whose license was obtained against the advice of the mayors of the respective municipalities. The local authority has been relying on this technology for several years to achieve energy self-sufficiency goals in 2050. Fonroche first proposed the construction of a deep geothermal power plant in Robertso, north of Strasbourg, near classified facilities in Seveso. From Port-aux-Pétroles. Eurometropolis ended up withdrawing its support for the project in front of residents’ opposition and Fonroche withdrew in 2015, after an unsupported opinion of the public inquiry.

Three more projects are being presented near Strasbourg. One in Illkirch-Graffenstaden is operated by ÉS Énergie and it is not in operation. Fonroche also has two drilling licenses, one between Eckbolsheim and Oberhausbergen and one in Hurtigheim. But it hasn’t started digging yet.

Source: Rue89 Strasbourg

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