28 Geophysics in Geothermal Exploration Geothermal Energy in France Here’s a summary of the geothermal energy landscape in France from the 2023 report from the AFPG (2023), including upcoming projects, current operations, and both deep and shallow geothermal energy contributions: • Upcoming Projects: – 22 geothermal research permits granted for mainland France, – 7 research permits were issued for geothermal exploration in French overseas territories. • Heat Production: – 79 deep geothermal operations are currently active in France, – 1 million people benefit from geothermal heating in the country, – deep geothermal operations generate 2.05 TWh of heat energy annually. • Geothermal lithium extraction: several projects in Upper Rhine Graben are underway. • Power Generation: Two geothermal power plants are operational: – Bouillante, Guadeloupe: 15.5 MW capacity, – Soultz-sous-Forêts, Alsace: 1.7 MW capacity. • Shallow Geothermal Energy: – over 205, 300 shallow geothermal installations provide heating and cooling, – shallow geothermal systems contribute 4.58 TWh of heating and cooling energy annually from near-surface resources. This range of geothermal initiatives highlights France’s commitment to leveraging both deep and shallow geothermal energy for sustainable heating, cooling, and power generation. Book content After an introduction on geothermal energy and an overview of the different geothermal systems (chapter 1), the book focuses on geophysical methods. Chapters 2 and 3 give the current state of knowledge respectively in surface methods (gravity, magnetic, electrical – EM and seismic methods) and borehole methods (conventional logging, hydrogeological measurements, full waveform acoustics, VSP). Fundamentals of each method are described in basic words and illustrated with field examples, notably geothermal examples. The reader is invited to refer to the selected papers or books listed in the references for detailed information on each method. Chapter 4 describes the integrated approach that led to the establishment of the geothermal model in the Upper Rhine Graben. It shows how the occurrence of fractured reservoirs characterized by natural brine circulations with fractured zones
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