Scientific mediation

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As part of the launch of the Interdisciplinary Thematic Institute on Geosciences for the energy Transition, or ITI GeoT, a series of motion design videos have been created to present, and popularise, the different subjects dealt with by the institute, as well as the research themes of its component working groups.

Geothermal energy seems to be one of the technologies chosen for the energy transition. But how are geothermal power plants installed? How do they use natural underground reservoirs? And above all, how do they exploit deep water? 

The ITI GeoT working group “Social Sciences” is interested in the social impact of a geothermal power plant on the inhabitants of the towns, villages or districts where it is located, as well as the different relationships between all stakeholders (residents, politics, industry and scientists) during its development and use. 
The aim? To understand and improve how we listen to the concerns of residents and improve the management and regulation of these projects.

Access to scientific research, and the data it produces, to all people and all levels of society is the main challenge of open science. In the framework of the GeoT ITI, the CDGP Deep Geothermal Data Centre (CDGP) has the central role of disseminating scientific data to the widest possible audience.

The triggering of earthquakes is one of the research themes of the laboratory, because they inform us about the mechanics of the subsoil and the impact of man on it.

What does the concept of seismic risks cover? What is it for ? and can it help us understand the consequences of an earthquake?

Knowing the physical characteristics of the subsoil is the challenge of the laboratory’s working group Rock Physics and geomechanics

To function properly, a geothermal power plant needs to exploit a deep groundwater reservoir with a sufficiently large volume of fluid and in a sufficiently permeable rock to facilitate the groundwater’s transport and recharge.
As such, several questions need to be addressed before installation: is the quantity of water sufficient for production?
How does the circulating water interact with its surroundings? Can we exploit the chemical elements carried by deep groundwater?
These questions are being addressed by the Hydro-geochemistry working group of ITI GeoT.

Geothermal electricity and heat production depends on our knowledge of the subsurface and the fluids that flow through it. This knowledge, confirmed through exploratory drilling, is critical to increasing the viability of a given project and preventing induced risks – including seismic risks – during exploitation. To this end, we need to develop and use techniques that allow us to characterise the subsurface before drilling.  As part of the ITI GeoT, the Potential Methods working group works to characterise the subsurface using non-invasive techniques.