SCHUTZGRUND

Project
SCHUTZGRUND: Investigations on the protection of the subsurface against modified geothermal fluids

Duration
01.03.2025 until 29.02.2028

Coordination
Dr.-Ing. Florencia Saravia
DVGW Research Center at the Engler-Bunte Institute of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Water Chemistry and Water Technology)
Engler-Bunte-Ring 9
76131 Karlsruhe

Project partner
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Thermal Energy Technology and Safety (ITES)
Department of Energy and Process Engineering
Contact: Dr. Dietmar Kuhn

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Applied Geosciences (AGW), Department of Mineralogy Petrology
Contact: Apl. Prof. Dr. Kirsten Drüppel

Associated partner
Geothermal power plant Landau (geoX GmbH)

Program
Georesearch for Sustainability (GEO:N)

Thematic focus
Deep geothermal energy

Subproject
Subproject DVGW: Influence of resource extraction on the composition of geothermal fluids - risks and side effects of their re-injection (funding code: 03G0940A)
KIT-ITES sub-project: Development, construction and operation of a monitoring test facility (funding reference: 03G0940B)
Subproject KIT-AGW: Challenges of resource extraction from geothermal systems: Corrosion and rock alteration by re-injection of depleted fluids (funding code: 03G0940C)

Objectives
SCHUTZGRUND investigates the risks arising from the injection of altered geothermal fluids.
The focal points of fluid-rock interaction and corrosion simultaneously create practical solutions for handling extraction processes of valuable substances in geothermal plants.
A mobile monitoring test facility to be developed will make it possible to investigate the effects of injecting geothermal fluids of different compositions on various rocks and other materials and thus on the integrity of the borehole and the subsurface.
The SCHUTZGRUND concept provides
(1) develop solutions to evaluate the impact of geothermal fluid injection and
(2) thereby enabling methods to conserve geothermal resources and protect the subsurface in practice.

Work packages