GEOTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: POTENTIAL IMPACTS & MITIGATION EFFORTS

ALI ASHAT Pre Workshop Course ITB “Geothermal for Everyone” Bandung, 5th March 2013

GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

Major Issue: A large number of geothermal fields in Indonesia are located in Conservation and Protected Forest Areas.

POTENTIAL GEOTHERMAL FIELDS LOCATED IN FOREST AREAS

Forest Status

Number of Locations

Intersected Area (%)

Potential Generation (Mwe)

Conservation Forest Area

29

10,9%

3.428

Protective Forest Area

52

19,6%

8.641

Total

81

30,5%

12.069

Total potential electricity to be generated from geothermal fields (located in Forest Area): 12.069 MWe (42,9% from the total potency in Indonesia)

• Protective Forest Area : forest area of which it’s main purpose is solely for natural buffering zone purposes. • Conservation Forest Area : forest area with a very certain (specific) characteristics that is designated for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation purposes.

GEOTHERMAL ENVIRONMEN ISSUES

Geothermal Development Stages Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Each Stages have a certain & specific issues

GEOTHERMAL ENVIRONMENT ISSUES

Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

The Issues: • Disturbance to the surrounding Systems (flora dan fauna). • Significant Reduction of Forest Area • Health Issues: Water Quality, etc. • Atmospheric Impacts: Air Pollutions, Acid Rain and Noise

Environmental Issues during The Preliminary Survey Stage Identification of Geothermal Activities and the corresponding Impact Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

No

Issues

1

Significant Disturbance to Surrounding Ecosystems (flora and fauna)?

2

Reduction of Forest Area?

3

Degradation of Water Quality?

4

Atmospheric Impacts?

5

People and Society Activities ?

Utilization

Yes

No

Environmental Issues during the Exploration Stage Identification of Geothermal Activities and the corresponding Impact Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Environmental Issues during G-G-G Surveys: No

Issues

1

Significant Disturbance to Surrounding Ecosystems (flora and fauna)?

2

Reduction of Forest Area?

3

Degradation of Water Quality?

4

Atmospheric Impacts?

5

People and Society Activities ?

Yes

No

Environmental Issues during the Exploration Stage Identification of Geothermal Activities and the corresponding Impact Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Environmental Issues during explatory Drilling and the preparation?

No

Issues

1

Significant Disturbance to Surrounding Ecosystems (flora and fauna)?

2

Reduction of Forest Area?

3

Degradation of Water Quality?

4

Atmospheric Impacts?

5

People and Society Activities ?

Yes

No

Most of potential geothermal areas are located in remote areas. Factors to be considered: Persiapan Jalan Masuk di Gn Salak

• Access Plan to Wellpad Locations • Mitigation Plan for Potential Hazards (Erotion, Land Subsidence, Water Flooding, etc) • Cut & Fill Asssments • Environmental Issues: reduction of forest areas, sufficient reharge areas along with other biodiversity issues.

Abimanyu (2010): Persiapan Jalan Masuk di Gn Salak Social & Cultural Impacts: • New Job Opportunities for Local People: Recruitment Fairness • Local Economy Stimulation • Potential Conflicts due to Social Status Others to consider: Corporate Social Responsibilities

• Abimanyu (2010): Developers have the obligation to conduct rehabilitation and preventive efforts in Persiapan Jalan Masuk di Gn Salak coordination with Local & Ministrial Forestry Agencies.  Re-forestation  Develop Sufficient Drainage Systems & Adequate Recharge Area Monitoring.  To Conduct Routine Assesments/Reports. Parameter: Noise, Health Quality, and social impacts.

ROAD ACCESS • Road Access related to transportation & supporting heavy equipments: for every 15 wells to be drilled, it will require at least 12 hectares of land.

Material and Equipment Mobilization Adverse Impacts to Local People ?  Potential Traffic:

- Road obstruction due to the size and presence of trailers & trucks. - Road damage & high frequency of Road Work

(Reparation) due to the trailers & trucks weight (140 tons of cement, 25 of drilling muds, 30 tons of lubricating oil & diesel).

- Every rig mobilization will require at least 2-4

days.

- Air Quality Issues: Dust, disturbing air particles,

vision, health issues.

- Noise

Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Drilling Fluids (Brown, 1995), • Water Required for shallow drilling activities : ± 1,000 m3/day (water loss due to loss circulation has to be considered) • Water Required for deep drilling activities : ± 4,000 m3/day (water loss due to loss circulation has to be considered) • Water Required for completion & injection tests : ± 10,000 m3/day (water loss due to loss circulation has to be considered) • Water quality degradation issues

Preliminary Surveys

Source of Drilling Fluid

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Identification of Drilling Activity Impacts towards local water resources (ground water, surface water resources, etc)

OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES DURING DRILLING ACTIVITIES ? Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

• Blow Out Worries • H2S and CO2 Gases • Drilling Waste Issues (drilling muds, petroleum products, cement waste).

NOISE ISSUES (DiPippo, 2008)

Noise Source Jet aircraft @ 30 m

Level (dB-A) 120 – 130

Geothermal Air Drilling Rig @ 8 m (25 kg/s steam entry, no muffler)

114

Automobile freeway or a subway train @ 6 m

90

Geothermal Air Drilling Rig @ 8 m (25 kg/s steam entry, with muffler)

84

Geothermal steam well, wide-open vertical discharge @ 900 m

71 – 83

Vacuum cleaner @ 3 m

70

Normal speech @ 0.3 m

65

Business office

50

Residential area in evening

40

(Still) Noise Issues

Normal speech @ 0.3 m

65 dB

Brown (1995, 2000) has compared these noise levels with other common sounds that occur in our day-to-day life. The only way to mitigate the sound pollution is to ensure softening of the noise using appropriate silencers, to levels lower than the pain threshold of human ear (120 dB in the frequency range 2,000–4,000 Hz).

Well Tests Environmental Issues Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Several Countries has Prohibited Vertical Well Tests (especially for liquid dominated geothermal fields) Other Issues: – Noise – Silica Deposition are carried along with the well test bursts is believed to bring adverse effects. – H2S, NCG

(Still) Well Tests Environmental Issues Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Uji datar

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Steam Dominated Fields • Rock Muffler are applied to production faccilities.

Water Dominated Fields  Water are distributed to ponds prior to reinjection.

(Still) Well Tests Environmental Issues Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Intensive Communication & Socialization to Locals is neccesary. MITIGATION EFFORTS  Well Tests time period should be as short as possible.

Land Use  Road & Access  Well Pads  SAGS  Power Plants  Suipporting Faccilities: Warehouse, Head Offices.

WELLPAD LAND USE CONSIDERATIONS  Required Space ± 90 x 45 m  Soil Characterization & Treatments: Soil Hardening & Determining Location  Topography Factors  Ponds should be available in every Well Pad  Well Design Options: Multi Wells with different Directions in one wellpad; Big Hole Option

WELL CONFIGURATION OPTIONS

Standard Well

“Big hole” Well

•Brine Injection Well

•Condensate Reinjection Well

•Scrubber

•Separator

•Ponds

Pipeline Design Environmental Issues : Worries about the high temperature and pressure pipeline, transportation issues, animal pathways.

PIPELINE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - Pipeline Route has to be paralel with Roadways: Monitor & controlling purposes, etc - To choose pipeline design with minimum land requirements. - Sufficient Pipeline Insulation (Control Pipeline Surface Temperature).

Wayang Windu (Photo from Rekayasa Industri)

Wayang Windu (Photo from Rekayasa Industri)

Wayang Windu Geothermal Field (foto: MNL/Star Energy Geothermal)

Specific Land Requirements for Varies of Energy

Landscape and land use impacts • Geothermal power plants require relatively small area of land. Geothermal installations do not require damming of rivers or harvesting of forests, and there are no mineshafts, tunnels, open pits, waste heaps or oil spills. • An entire geothermal field uses only 1–8 acres per MW versus 5–10 acres per MW for nuclear plants and 19 acres per MW for coal plants (Geothermal Energy Program, 2002).

For comparison: Awibengkok – Gn Salak  The total area of the Salak protected forest is about 6,700 ha of

which 175 Ha is occupied by geothermal operations and right-ofway (Usman Slamet and Dewi G. Moelyono, 2000).

ADVERSE IMPACTS DURING EXPLOITATION STAGE Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

Drilling Activities, Road Developments, Power House and Production Faccillities.

ADVERSE IMPACTS DUE TO PRODUCTION Preliminary Surveys

Exploration Stage

Feasibility Sudy

The long term production of geothermal fluid is believed to have adverse impact to the sub surface system and the corresponding surrounding areas.

Exploitation Stage

Utilization

 Environmental Issues During Reinjection: Brine & Condensate

Reinjection are believed to affect adversely to deep and shallow goundwater qualities.  In most cases, it is better to reinject brine and condensate water to a deeper depth than the ground water levels and the reservoir production zone.

 Reinjection: Mass Balance and Reservoir Pressure Maintenance.

 CARBON EMISSION RATES

1200

CO2 Emmision (Kg/MWh)

1000

800

600

400

200

0 Coal

Diesel

Oil

Natural Gas

Source: IPCC and Indonesia's First Communication Report

Geothermal

Power Plant

CARBON EMISSION RATES  The application of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of Kyoto Protocol has met a pretty much success in reducing carbon emission rapid rates. This mechanism, sets that rich countries is obligated to reduce at least of 5.2% green house gasses towards the 1990 rate, through to clean enery purchase, as well as geothermal, from developing countries (project after 2001).

Social Impacts

Lapangan panas bumi Wayang Windu (foto: MNL/Star Energy Geothermal)

Environmental Impacts (Scale, Type, etc) depends is site specific to the respective characteristic of the geothermal field, i.e: capacity, activities in each development stage, social communications, etc Unconstrained development of geothermal fields and human disturbance towards the surface system could lead to various adverse impacts, i.e:  Manifestation Character Change: Physical Parameter Change, and sub-surface change: potential hydrothermal eruptions  Potential Subsidence  The increase records of micro-seismic activities  Significant impacts to ecosystems, flora and fauna

Conclusions: Key Development Plans

 Sustainable development: Reinjection Plan, Reservoir

Performance Monitoring.  Prevention of unconstrained development  Prevention of Over-exploitation Abimanyu (2010): The recharge ability of a certain forest area (recharge area) is crucial to geothermal field development & operation. Due to that reason, significant damage should not likely occur during to the development & operation in a geothermal field.

Kamojang Geothermal Field

Awibengkok – Gunung Salak (commercially operated since 1994)

Wayang Windu

Thank You for your Attention

Ali Ashat ITB Geothermal Master Degree Program Email: [email protected] For further info of ITB Geothermal Master Degree Program Please Visit http://www.geothermal.itb.ac.id