3D-Ruhr Marie

To develop geothermal energy as a renewable energy, it is essential to carry out a significantly better seismic risk analysis before a geothermal project than past methods have historically allowed. There can be seismic risks in any medium-depth or deep geothermal project, but these risks can be significantly reduced with a precise knowledge of local conditions. This is where the 3D-RuhrMarie project comes into play. In the metropolitan Rhine-Ruhr region, the project will compile all available geological information on geothermally relevant rocks at various depths into a 3D model of the subsurface that models the large-scale stress field and facilitates risk analysis for seismicity induced by the use of geothermal energy.

The project focuses on developing a model-based user tool for the risk analysis of intrinsic seismic hazards. This gives project developers a tool that allows them to quickly identify areas that present an increased risk of fault reactivation and associated seismicity. Conversely, it will also be possible to identify any areas that are seismically more stable. In North Rhine-Westphalia in particular, seismic hazard analysis is not just relevant to geothermal projects, but also to underground mining interventions, and prospects for reusing old mining structures and other issues relating to groundwater management. For many companies in various industries, 3D-RuhrMarie will be an application tool that closes an essential gap between preliminary exploration and project start phases by providing a significant reduction in economic risk.