GEISER: (Geothermal Engineering Integrating Mitigation of Induced Seismicity in Reservoirs)

The project started at the beginning of the year 2010 after successful contract negotiations with the European Commission (EC). The project will address several of the major challenges the development of geothermal energy is facing, including the mitigation of induced seismicity to an acceptable level.

GEOTHERM:

A consortium of research groups from ETH Zürich, EPF Lausanne, the Paul Scherrer Institute and the University of Bonn, are collaborating in a comprehensive program of basic research on key aspects of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGSs). The work will contribute to understanding and developing an alternative and sustainable energy resource free of CO2-emission.

GeoBest:

The project goal is to provide cantonal and federal authorities with guidelines on how to handle seismic hazard in the framework of the environmental risk assessment.

GEOSIM:

Switzerland is estimated to have an enormous potential for deep geothermal energy, capable of providing up to 30 % of the total electricity demand of Switzerland. Therefore, geothermal energy is expected to play a significant role for the long term security of base load electricity supplies. In order to tap this potential in Switzerland and elsewhere, it is imperative to develop reliable methods and tools for the estimation of the seismic hazard of induced seismicity in real time. Project GEOSIM will develop the methods, algorithms and software tools that are required for the realization of industry pilot projects, planned from 2014 onwards.