A great deal of knowledge and information is available on geothermal energy and its potential impact on groundwater, spread across various reports, expert groups, and technical sources. TNO – Geological Survey of the Netherlands has therefore produced the information leaflet 'Geothermie in Nederland: wat betekent dat voor het grondwater?’, in which this existing knowledge and information are brought together.
The leaflet explains what can happen during the extraction of geothermal energy that may affect groundwater: undesirable events that may occur both during the construction phase and during the production phase of a geothermal system. It also outlines, at a high level, the rules, regulations, and procedures aimed at preventing these events and limiting any potential impacts as much as possible.
Note that the information leaflet is in Dutch.
For whom?
The leaflet is intended for anyone who, in a work-related context, needs (background) information about geothermal energy and its potential impact on groundwater.
For policy officers at municipalities and provinces, the leaflet provides insights to support spatial decision-making and to enable the safe use of subsurface functions such as geothermal energy, drinking water abstraction, and strategic groundwater reserves.
These functions take place at different depths, but can coincide at the same location at the surface. For this reason, clear and reliable information on possible undesirable events, mitigation measures, and responsibilities is important.
The leaflet offers practical guidance for responsibly combining geothermal energy and drinking water abstraction. It addresses the following questions:
- What is geothermal energy and how does it work?
- What can happen during geothermal energy extraction that may affect groundwater?
- Which undesirable events during the construction and production phases should be considered in order to prevent or limit possible negative effects?
- Which regulations, technical measures, procedures, and legislation apply?
Download the leaflet from the NLOG Knowledge Base.