"Geothermal energy on the Triolet campus. Renewable energy under our feet!"

As part of the 6th National Geology Days organized by the Société Géologique de France.

By Roger SOLIVA and Michel SÉRANNE, geologists at Géosciences Montpellier (CNRS, University of Montpellier).

Geothermal energy is renewable, sustainable and non-carbon-based. A wide variety of processes use the temperature difference between the subsoil and the surface to generate heat or cold; however, all depend on the geothermal gradient, which is controlled by the local geological structure. Around Montpellier, hot springs are evidence of near-surface thermal anomalies, explained by local geology. We'll be presenting the geothermal potential of the Triolet Campus (Montpellier), where an old 160 m borehole produces water at 30°C. This anomaly is the result of deep water upwelling through a layer of limestone sandwiched between impermeable formations. Knowledge of the physical and hydrogeological properties of this structure would enable a precise assessment of the geothermal energy resource that could contribute to the energy mix of local infrastructures. This is what the ThermoTrio scientific project will attempt to validate.

Free admission.