Geoscience Ireland (GI) welcomes Geothermal Policy Statement
Geoscience Ireland (GI) warmly welcomes the publication by the Government of Ireland of a Policy Statement on Geothermal Energy for a Circular Economy . Prepared by the Department of Environment Climate and Communications (DECC), the Policy sets out regulatory, environmental and technical objectives for the sector.
New developments in science and technology mean that there is potential for Geothermal energy to make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of the energy sector in
Ireland, particularly for heating and cooling buildings.
This policy statement sets out the approach to regulating shallow and deep geothermal systems, including licencing the exploration for and the utilisation of deep sources of
geothermal energy.
The full geothermal potential of Ireland is not yet fully understood because more needs to be known about the temperatures and geology in Ireland’s deep subsurface.
Addressing geological uncertainty is critical to the success of geothermal projects at almost every step of the planning and development process. Publicly available, high-quality subsurface data should be collected and disseminated through the National Geothermal Database, which will contain maps, tools and best practise guidelines. It is vital therefore that a program of geoscientific data gathering is undertaken to encourage geothermal development. In
particular, it is recognised that a programme of deep drilling and deep geophysics research will be required to address the knowledge gaps.
Commenting on the Policy , GI Director Sean Finlay said;
“GI members are well placed to support the development of Geothermal Energy, providing geoscientific and engineering advise and assessments, together with drilling and geophysical surveying services . The recent Policy Statement aligns with ambitions outlined for Geothermal Energy in national Climate Policy and provides a framework for its orderly development.”
