Life Cycle Assessment methodology for deep geothermal energy projects
The GEOENVI project developed a simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to assess the environmental impacts of deep geothermal energy plants that are planned or already in operation. The purpose of this methodology is to help geothermal project developers to evaluate the environmental performance of their planned project, in particular against fossil alternatives.
The use of the GEOENVI LCA methodology allows to quickly quantify what benefits will result from the development of the geothermal project. This will also help with public acceptance and engagement.
LCA experts and geothermal energy stakeholders came together to design this LCA methodology in the framework of the GEOENVI project. The aim was to identify how to best quantify the expected environmental impacts and benefits of a planned geothermal project. The experts used several case studies to develop this methodology, providing a typology of geothermal power and heat plants.
From the full assessment of several key case studies, the experts established a simplified methodology. Developers can use this methodology to obtain a reliable estimate of the environmental impacts of their planned project, which can feed into required documents, such as Environmental Impact Assessments.
The GEOENVI project started in November 2018 and ended in April 2021.
