INDEPENDENT, SOUND CONSULTANCY SERVICES
- How can I achieve a sustainable energy supply?
- How can I contribute to decarbonization?
- Which systems can provide a safe, economic and sustainable energy supply?
- Which resources and technologies are available and how safe are they?
- Where are risks for conflicts of use and how can I avoid them?
- How can I mitigate unpredictable prize jumps for my energy supply?
- How can I protect myself against imponderabilities in the energy supply?
Assessment of sustainable subsurface energy resources for your needs at your locations.
One third of the energy demand is for domestic heat. This application has also the largest potential in decarbonization. Besides conventional resources like coal, gas and oil, there are local resources available that only need to be tapped: groundwater, geothermal and solar heat.
Development strategies, economic analysis, risk analysis
Subsurface exploration and production licencing requires adaptions to new standards for safety and sustainability. Multiple claims on conventional and new resources, in particular new production technologies like hydraulic fracturing require a thorough assessment of its environmental impact, above all groundwater protection. The mutual interference among resources like geothermal heat and gas demand solid rules based on geological logic and evidence. The same counts for all kinds of subsurface storage facilities be it gas, CO2 or waste.
With my international network of highly qualified professionals and academics alike I can assist in finding pragmatic solutions.
Growing demand of energy and resources extracted from all depth ranges of the geosphere leads inevitably to conflicts of use. A typical issue are e.g. mutual interferences of geothermal wells and borehole heat exchangers.
My service is developing individual practical solutions and rules to avoid conflicts of use.
Exploration and development strategies
New renewables need to be deployed where they contribute to decarbonisation. Conventional resources need to be deployed in the most economic and ecological way. Intelligent applications of hydrocarbons may often contribute more to decarbonization than a simple ban of their use.
My contribution is the assessment of various solutions by identifying natural limiting factors based on science and operational experience.
Investments in sustainable subsurface resources like geothermal heat require a solid legal framework. New definitions and adaptions of mining regulations are required.
My contribution to such processes is my first hand experience with exploration and production regulations in countries with a well established mining industry.
Ecomomic analysis
Sustainable energy systems characteristically require higher capital expenditures but excel in low operational expenditures. Seed capital and subsidies are essential in pilot projects but are no business concept to succeed in competitive markets.
My contribution is the comparative assessments of levelized costs of subsurface resources, considering capital-, operational-, maintenance- and removal-costs and in particular considering finding- and operational-risks.
Risk analysis
Every subsurface operation entails a technical and a geological risk. Operational risk needs to be mitigated. Subsurface operations require a professional approach to deal with natural imponderabilities.
My contribution is a qualitative assessment of geological risk based on the identification of geological hazards and the damage potential. Alternative solutions are assessed in comparison with worst case scenarios.
