Geothermal Technologies : analysis of written evidence from the Environmental Audit Committee inquiry

In July 2022, The UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Commission (EAC) launched an inquiry on geothermal technologies as part of their Technological Innovations and Climate Change inquiry (https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6777/technological-innovations-and-climatechange- geothermal-technologies/publications/). The inquiry focussed on Enhanced Geothermal Systems and Mine Water Energy Systems. It investigated the potential scale of their deployment in the UK to provide heat and power; the role geothermal technologies could have in the UK’s Energy Strategy and what barriers there are to the deployment, economic impact, and environmental impact of these technologies. As part of the inquiry, the EAC issued a call for the submission of written evidence to provide answers to one or more of the following questions: 1. What role can geothermal technologies take in the transition to net zero in the UK? 2. What barriers (technological, regulatory, or otherwise) are there to deploying operational geothermal technologies in the UK? 3. What is the scale of the potential market for geothermal energy sources and which geographic or other geological types are most suitable for exploitation of this natural resource? 4. Are current government support schemes sufficient to grow geothermal energy deployment in the UK? 5. What environmental concerns are associated with geothermal technologies, and are they appropriately accounted for in regulations? 6. What risks are there to investors, operators, and consumers of geothermal energy? How can these be mitigated? 7. How does the density of mine water systems affect their efficiency? Could widespread uptake of geothermal systems in dense population centres lead to a reduction in their ability to provide heat? 8. What economic impact could the deployment of mine water geothermal systems have on the areas in which they are deployed? The written evidence received by the EAC for this inquiry is published on the UK Parliament website at https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6777/technological-innovations-and-climatechange- geothermal-technologies/publications/written-evidence/. This report captures a qualitative analysis of this evidence. It specifically investigates what opportunities, challenges and barriers are identified by the submissions as well as the support measures that are suggested for developing a geothermal industry in the UK

Urban geoscience report : application of geotechnical and engineering geological data and information

This report is published by the British Geological Survey Urban Geoscience Team as part of a series of reports to assess current opportunities and challenges in providing geological data, information, and knowledge to inform urban planning policy and sustainable development. The reports focus on the value of geological data, and the knowledge and understanding applied to these data in urban areas for geohazards, construction and harnessing subsurface resource. Alongside, the reports describe the role of technology in characterising and visualising the shallow subsurface (the top 100 m below ground level), and how this has evolved in response to stakeholder needs. They also provide recommendations for how BGS data and science should develop to respond to future demands of urban geoscience stakeholders including academia, industry, policy makers, urban planners and the general public. The reports in this series are as follows: Urban Geoscience Report - The value of geoscience data, information and knowledge for transport and linear infrastructure projects OR/21/065 (Bricker et al., 2022) Urban Geoscience Report - Capacity for 3D urban modelling OR/22/043 (Kearsey et al., 2022) Urban Geoscience Report - Application of geotechnical and engineering geological data and information OR/22/049 Further details of how BGS data and information are specifically used by stakeholders, and of the value, in general, of geoscience data and information to the construction sector, are presented in Bricker et al., (2022). Further details of 3D modelling, and in particular of 3D geological models in urban areas is also presented in Kearsey et al., (2022)

Land subsidence susceptibility mapping for Hanoi city, Vietnam

Land subsidence is one of the main issues in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi, due to the urban growth and its associated excessive consumption of natural resources such as groundwater and increased construction. This abstract describes the assessment of land subsidence in Central Hanoi by using InSAR, engineering geological characteristics obtained from boreholes and a weight of evidence statistical method. The result is presented as a land subsidence susceptibility map

Urban geoscience report : the value of geoscience data, information and knowledge for transport and linear infrastructure projects

New transport and urban infrastructure provision lies at the centre of UK government’s Build Back Better campaign and the Levelling-Up Agenda, to deliver significant socio-economic value to local economies, through provision of jobs and supply contracts, and enhancing well-being through greater local access to services. This will comprise large scale investment in major infrastructure and construction projects like HS2, Crossrail, and major flood risk management programmes as well as the provision of housing and the rapid deployment of fibre and 5G. To maximise the value of investment in new infrastructure the UK Government has set targets for improved productivity, efficiency, and adoption of environment-sensitive principles in the construction sector with the introduction of ‘Project Speed’ and the ‘Faster, Better, Greener’ approach. A number of recent initiatives have highlighted the value of subsurface data sharing to support construction and infrastructure development, and wider subsurface management. These include the Geospatial Commission’s National Underground Asset Register; Dig-to-Share -an Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership project; Project Iceberg; and the EU Sub-Urban COST Action. These initiatives have been successful in bringing together public and private sector bodies to demonstrate the potential benefits arising from the deposition and (re-)use of geoscience data and information. Despite these successes the value of geological and geotechnical data throughout the infrastructure and construction lifecycle is still under appreciated, resulting in inefficiency and reduced productivity. It has been estimated that unforeseen ground conditions contribute to significant delays in 20-60% of transport and linear infrastructure developments, and budget overruns, typically over 10%, are recorded across the industry. This report describes how geological data and knowledge is key to overcoming challenges associated with ground conditions and improving efficiency within planning and construction. Whilst the review is targeted to the transport and linear infrastructure sector, the observations on Ground Investigation (GI) data and geological data and support services are relevant to the broader construction lifecycle. Some of the wider social, economic and environmental benefits delivered when good GI and data management principles are applied are also highlighted. The report identifies the key datasets and services available from the BGS for those undertaking GI for new transport and linear infrastructure projects but more widely for those employed in construction and asset management. A number of cases studies are described which demonstrate the value of geological and geotechnical information for transport infrastructure, such as the Lower Thames Crossing, and Farringdon Station (CrossRail)

Developing an Open Database to Support Forensic Investigation of Disasters in South East Asia: FORINSEA v1.0

This article describes the development of a bespoke database, FORINSEA1.0, created to address the need for a systematic curation of information needed for the descriptive phase of the FORIN approach and its application to two study areas in the South East Asia region. FORINSEA1.0 allows researchers, for the first time, to explore and make use of subnational, geocoded data on major disasters triggered by natural hazards (flooding, earthquake, landslide and meteorological hazards) since 1945 until 2020 in the hydrological catchment of the Red River in Vietnam and the Marikina Basin in the Philippines. FORINSEA1.0 also contains relevant subnational information on relevant socio-economic policies and development of key infrastructure to provide the basis of the descriptive FORIN analysis. While the catchment approach is potentially transferable to other regions, this Data Report does not show how these records might be applied or integrated to support a FORIN investigation of a specific disaster or event, neither provide basic ground rules for setting up similar systems in other countries

East Birmingham : geoscience to support the Inclusive Growth Strategy

The East Birmingham district covers an area of approximately 76 km2 from Bordesley in the west to the M6 Toll motorway in the east, and from Bromford in the north to Birmingham International Airport in the south. The area is extensively urbanised. According to East Birmingham Inclusive Growth Strategy, it is predicted that the city will experience population growth of 150 000 by 2031. As part of the growth strategy the Birmingham City Council has plans to provide: - 65 400 new homes - HS2 related infrastructure - Metro extension to Solihull - Sprint rapid transit along the A45 Coventry Road corridor. The aim of this project is to assess the available geological data for East Birmingham to help to identify ground constraints/opportunities