Some suggestions on promoting the development and utilization of geothermal energy

I. Guiding ideology and objectives

(1) Guiding ideology

 Adhere to the principles of unified planning, local conditions, orderly development, clean and efficient, water saving and environmental protection, and encourage innovation, prudently promote geothermal energy resource exploration and project construction, standardize and simplify management processes, improve information statistics and monitoring systems, and ensure high-quality development of geothermal energy development and utilization.

(2) Objectives

By 2025, all localities will have established a complete and standardized management process for the development and utilization of geothermal energy, complete the national information statistics and monitoring system for the development and utilization of geothermal energy, increase the area of geothermal energy heating (cooling) by 50% over 2020, and build a number of geothermal power generation demonstration projects in areas with good resource conditions. Double the installed capacity of geothermal power generation in China compared with 2020; By 2035, the area of geothermal heating (cooling) and the installed capacity of geothermal power generation will strive to double compared with 2025.

2. Key tasks

(3) Deepen geothermal resource exploration. Geothermal resource exploration is the basis of geothermal energy development and utilization. The competent departments of natural resources of relevant provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) shall organize the investigation and evaluation of geothermal resources, and, in accordance with the carrying capacity of resources and the environment and the conditions for the development and utilization of water resources, jointly with the competent departments of water administration, make an overall evaluation of the feasibility, suitability, total amount and intensity of the development and utilization of geothermal resources, and determine the scale of the development and utilization of geothermal resources with the geothermal field as the unit. The survey and evaluation of large-scale geothermal fields across provincial administrative areas shall be organized and implemented by the national public welfare geological survey agency. On this basis, mining limits and mining rights are determined scientifically and reasonably, and enterprises are introduced to carry out follow-up exploration, development and utilization.

(4) Actively promote the use of shallow geothermal energy. In Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Lu, Henan and the Yangtze River Basin, shallow geothermal energy utilization should be promoted according to local conditions according to heating (cooling) needs, and demonstration zones for the cluster utilization of shallow geothermal energy should be built. While paying attention to the use of shallow geothermal energy in traditional urban areas, the high quality can meet the growing demand for heating in southern China and promote the utilization of geothermal energy in Yunnan-Guizhou alpine regions. According to the resource endowment of each region, the surface water source heat pump should be actively developed for heating and cooling in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River where surface water resources are abundant. Under the condition that the soil heat balance is satisfied, the buried pipe ground source heat pump is actively used for heating and cooling. For the areas with suitable hydrological and geological conditions and in line with the requirements of groundwater resource protection, under the premise of ensuring that the same aquifer takes the same amount of water and recharge, and does not pollute the groundwater, the underground water source heat pump is actively and steadily promoted for heating and cooling.

5. Prudently promoting medium and deep geothermal energy heating. In accordance with the resource situation and market demand, medium and deep geothermal energy heating will be steadily promoted in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Shaanxi, Henan, Qinghai, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning regions. All localities are encouraged, on the basis of resource assessment, environmental impact assessment and economic calculation, to choose, according to the actual situation, the technology of "heat extraction without water consumption, full equal amount of recharge in the same layer" or "sealed, non-interference underground heat transfer" to minimize the interference to underground soil, rock formations and water bodies, and ensure that the amount of groundwater does not decrease, the water level does not decrease, and the water quality does not decrease. Avoid damage to groundwater resources and the environment. We will encourage demonstration work on the centralized use of geothermal energy in medium and deep layers, demonstrate heating utilization models and application ranges of different geothermal resource grades, and explore new management technologies and market operation models conducive to the development and utilization of geothermal energy. It is appropriate to adopt the overall development of geothermal blocks to promote geothermal energy heating, mobilize the enthusiasm of enterprises to protect resources and sustainable development, and encourage the promotion of "geothermal energy +" multi-energy complementary heating forms.