This is the final version. Available from the European Commission via the link in this recordHiTech AlkCarb (New geomodels to explore deeper for High-Technology critical raw materials in Alkaline rocks and Carbonatites) project deliverable D6.3This report describes the challenges experienced during the geological scientific fieldwork at the
Kaiserstuhl, Germany. Although the general perception of the public regarding the project is
positive, the Municipality of Vogtsburg would have allowed the proposed ca. 400 m deep core
drilling only if the HiTech AlkCarb project had taken an insurance policy for any potential
environmental and social damage for the longest possible period after the drilling. This caution
was the result of damage to buildings in the local town of Staufen im Breisgau and induced
seismicity near Basel during geothermal energy projects. As it was not possible to obtain such an
insurance, the drilling programme had to be abandoned. A company with an official exploration licence would have had the right to drill, although the lack of social licence for drilling may make
an exploration licence hard to obtain in the region at the moment. Moreover, if the drilling
programme had been contracted by a German governmental institution, such as a university or
the geological survey, the drilling could have been carried out, as governmental institutions in
Germany are automatically insured through the state. However, the local university HiTech
AlkCarb project partner declined to take over running the drilling contract, and this probably
reflects the perceived reputational risk of taking part in any drilling in the region at the moment. It
is a good lesson in how damage to social licence can affect permitting. The recommendations to
the European Commission arising from this experience are:
• To assign any drilling in research and innovation projects, in Germany, and probably
elsewhere in Europe, to a Government organisation where possible.
• To publicise good practice examples and subsurface research projects (such as UK GEOS and similar) that can help to regain public confidence.European Union Horizon 202
