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Is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) necessary for drilling a geothermal well?

My team is developing a proposal for a pilot geothermal plant. We're confident in the engineering, but the environmental permitting process seems complex. Colleagues in other countries have faced significant delays. I need to understand if an EIA is universally required, or if there are thresholds or conditions that might exempt a single exploratory well.

 

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By Nitin Answered 7 months ago

From my experience consulting on geothermal projects, I would strongly recommend treating an EIA as non-negotiable, even if local regulations have loopholes for exploratory wells. I have seen projects where skipping a robust EIA led to catastrophic delays and public opposition when unassessed issues like groundwater contamination or minor induced seismicity arose. The process is your best tool for identifying site-specific risks particularly to aquifers and from subsurface pressure changes and designing a monitoring and mitigation plan upfront. It builds regulatory and community trust, which is essential for long-term operation.

 

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