The Chamber of Deputies in Chile has ratified the proposed changes to the current regulations on geothermal energy concessions with a vote of 134 in favor and 4 abstentions. With this, shallow geothermal systems are, by law, excluded from the concession system.
The Senate of the Republic of Chile had just recently approved the proposed changes which seeks to facilitate simplified registration and faster development of shallow geothermal systems. In the context of the new regulations, a “shallow geothermal system” is defined as being less than 400 meters depth and at temperatures below 90 °C.
The approved standard also updates the law on the safety of geothermal operations and establishes a new supervisory entity. It proposes the preparation of a Safety Regulation for Geothermal Activities, which will have as its objective the prevention and control of risks to the life, health and safety of people; safeguarding the sustainability of the geothermal resource; and the protection of facilities and infrastructure, which will even be applicable to all types of geothermal activities.
The beneficiaries of this measure range from the residential to the industrial sector, since geothermal heat pumps have the capacity to be installed anywhere there is a thermal demand. Shallow geothermal can have a wide variety of applications, from a small project that supplies heat and cold to a home, to larger projects for schools, hospitals and public buildings.
Likewise, this type of projects can be implemented in commercial and tourism buildings, wine production, agribusiness, and mining.
Source: Chamber of Deputies and Ministry of Energy
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