40 Geophysics in Geothermal Exploration Figure 1.9 Geothermal systems (187) developed worldwide, grouped by play types and regions. Sources: IGA and IFC (2014); systems drawn from www. thinkgeoenergy.com; www.geotis.de; Zheng and Dong (2008). Conventional and Non-Conventional Geothermal Resources • Conventional Hydrothermal Systems. These systems involve naturally occurring hot water or steam reservoirs. They are typically used in volcanic or highgeothermal-gradient areas and are well-suited for electricity generation. • Non-Conventional Systems (Enhanced Geothermal Systems and Closed Loop). In regions lacking natural hydrothermal reservoirs, EGS can artificially create or enhance pathways in hot dry rock/low permeability rocks for water to circulate, picking up heat for use at the surface. Closed-loop systems involve circulating a working fluid through pipes underground without any interaction with natural groundwater, making them potentially viable and after a complete economic assessment in a broad range of geological environments. 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.
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