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Frontiers in Energy

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Front. Energy    2019, Vol. 13 Issue (4) : 757-763    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-017-0455-9
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Large-scale geo-energy development: sustainability impacts
Li JIANG1(), Liandong ZHU2, Erkki HILTUNEN2
1. Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Vaasa Energy Institute, FI-65101 Vaasa, Finland
2. Vaasa Energy Institute, FI-65101 Vaasa, Finland
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Abstract

Geothermal energy is a renewable and alternative energy with the potential to replace fossil fuels and help mitigate global warming. However, the development of geothermal energy has environmental, economic and social-cultural consequences, which needs to be predicted beforehand and then mitigated. To guarantee a sustainable development, it is, therefore, essential to consider the relative potential impacts. From a sustainability point of view, in the present study, a comprehensive analysis of consequences of geothermal energy development is conducted, including environmental, economic and societal & cultural dimensions. The geothermal energy industry will prosper only if sustainable aspects can be integrally considered.
Keywords geothermal energy      sustainability      impact      development     
Corresponding Author(s): Li JIANG   
Online First Date: 16 February 2017    Issue Date: 26 December 2019
 Cite this article:   
Li JIANG,Liandong ZHU,Erkki HILTUNEN. Large-scale geo-energy development: sustainability impacts[J]. Front. Energy, 2019, 13(4): 757-763.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-017-0455-9
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/Y2019/V13/I4/757
Country Capacity in 2007/MW [8] Capacity in 2010/MW [9] Capacity in 2013/MW [7]
US 2687 3086 3389
Philippines 1970 1904 1884
Indonesia 992 1197 1333
Mexico 953 958 980
Italy 811 843 901
New Zealand 472 628 895
Iceland 421 575 664
Japan 535 536 537
Tab.1  Established geothermal market installed capacity in Megawatts
Fig.1  A framework for sustainability impact analysis of large-scale geothermal energy development
Environmental dimension Economic dimension Social & cultural dimension
– Cause soil erosion, geothermal hazards and direct or indirect land use changes;
– Damage groundwater, interrupt hydrologic cycles, and affect the water quality;
–Dust pollution and gaseous emissions from the discharge of non-condensable gases;
– Detrimental effects on local ecosystems, affecting the habitats		 – Start-up phase is expensive, requiring overwhelming investments;
– The expense of storage and management of geothermal energy is also very high;
– Supporting facilities might be needed, creating additional costs		 – Local people might suffer from the noise in the drilling and well-testing phase, the construction phase, and the plant operation phase;
– Landscape aesthetics might be damaged;
– It requires time for people to adapt and accept geo-energy
Tab.2  Potential sustainability impacts related to geothermal energy development
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