Even without having high-enthalpy resources, geothermal energy has 
experienced a rising interest in the last years in Germany. Encouraged by the 
German Energy Research Programme and even more by the amendment of the 
German feed-in law, several projects aiming for geothermal electricity 
generation are under development. A wider use of geothermal energy for 
power generation however is only acceptable if it results in general benefits for 
the environment compared to the existing alternatives. Based on this, the 
environmental impacts need to be analysed precisely at the beginning of the 
market introduction in order to pursue an environ¬mental optimized expansion, 
meeting e.g. respective mitigation measures in terms of regulatory guidelines 
or administrative directives.

There¬fore the Government - represented by the Federal Environ¬ment Agency 
of Germany (UBA) - has commissioned a study from June 2006 to July 2007 to 
fundamentally analyse the environmental impacts through geothermal power 
pro¬duction considering regulatory and site specific frame conditions in 
Germany. 

This presentation will provide an insight into the project results. On the one 
hand, the environmental impacts during the whole life cycle (i.e. construction, 
operation and deconstruc¬tion and including the respective pre-chains) will be 
estimated; on the other, local site specific impacts on the natural environment 
are analysed. Based on theses results, advices regarding an environmental 
optimized wider use of geothermal energy for power generation are derived.

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