Title: Innovation in geothermal resources and reserves potential assessment for the decarbonization of power/thermal sectors (INGEO)

Scientific Person in Charge: Antonio Galgaro | Programme: PRIN 2022 - DM 1409 del 14/09/2022

Total Contribution € 33.780,00 | Project Duration: 24 months

In agreement with the European Green Deal, setting the ambitious target of reducing CO2 and climate- altering gas emissions by 55% by 2030 (from 1990 levels) and climate neutrality by 2050, the geothermal energy sector is expected to grow steadily. For many decades geothermal energy has been used on a large scale by tapping into hot water-bearing layers at 0-4 km depth. The geographical limitation of large scale geothermal plants is going to be overcome by recent advancements, which demonstrate that it is possible to produce energy also by deep closed-loop heat exchanger (DCHE) systems in the subsurface. While research in this field develops, it is strategic to estimate - on a regional scale, down to a depth of 10 km - how much energy can be concentrated and extracted from upper-crustal layers. The InGEO project (Innovation in GEOthermal resources and reserves potential assessment for the decarbonization of power/thermal sectors) aims to define a method to quantify the energy realistically producible from deep geothermal energy sources at the regional level to be used for specific technologies, e.g. to generate electricity or for district heating. Key challenges, considering a regional scale example as a test site, consist of: (i) developing a robust assessment of the deep geothermal resources, taking into account the local geological conditions, the thermal regime and the heat exchange capacity; (ii) defining operative solution for heat extraction, including thermal energy storage, to optimise thermal performance; and (iii) validating at site-specific regional scale the developed approaches. The project will demonstrate an innovative exploration workflow to integrate geophysical data and assess deep underground conditions. It consists of the reconstruction of the crustal and subcrustal structures by joint analyses and interpretations of available and acquired geological and geophysical data (e.g., those provided by mechanical and thermal rocks' experiments, seismic and gravity anomalies), taking advantage of the different sensitivity that geophysical methods have on physical rock's parameters (temperature and composition). The results will be the input of the thermal model and contribute to the development of GEOTHERMOS, an open-source and web-based GIS tool, and to the calculation of the deep geothermal energy potential for both hydrothermal resources and deep heat exchangers. The outcomes of InGEO are designed for use by investors, regulators, governments and consumers. They will provide data to be used in energy planning and contribute to developing technologies useful to reach regional and national climate neutrality, favouring a shift in the energy mix towards renewables.