Introducing GeoHEAT: Georadar-aided High-resolution Exploration for Advancing geoThermal energy usage

TL;DR

This paper introduces GeoHEAT, a comprehensive multi-scale geothermal exploration method combining techno-economic analysis, passive seismics, gravity, probabilistic modeling, and high-resolution georadar to identify promising geothermal sites.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel integrated approach for geothermal exploration that combines regional, reservoir, and borehole scale analyses with a custom-designed geothermal grade georadar.

Findings

Successful application to Swiss canton of Thurgau

Identification of permeable structures using georadar

Enhanced accuracy in geothermal site selection

Abstract

We present a novel geothermal exploration approach that integrates innovations at three spatial scale. At the regional scale (~100 km) we create LCOE heat maps using a techno-economic and metamodel analysis. This allows us to choose several potential sites to perform a reservoir scale (~10 km) assessment with passive seismics and gravity. By integrating the latter with probabilistic geological and geomechanical modeling we propose locations to drill exploration boreholes. Then follows a high-resolution borehole characterization incorporating various analyses, the central one being a georadar probe that allows to illuminate permeable structures. Within this project, we also design and build a geothermal grade georadar. Here, we present the approach and result from the application of our methodology to the Swiss canton of Thurgau, with the purpose of large-scale geothermal exploration.