The Role of the Government on the Geothermal Management in Beijing, China

Abstract

Beijing is rich in low-temperature geothermal, which is stored in the limestone and dolomite reservoirs in a sediment basin. In the Beijing, where the plain is about 6000km2, there have been identified more than 2300 km2 of geothermal potential. The geothermal water is used for various direct purposes, and has played an effective role in the battling with the air pollution in the city. The geothermal is developed and utilized by a lot of different users, making the management of the geothermal resources a difficult task. The Geothermal Division under the Beijing Bureau of Land Resources and Housing is responsible for the supervision and administration of geothermal development and protection. Set up in 1985, the Geothermal Division has been doing well in the controlling of geothermal water production. This helped to lower the reservoir pressure. To meet the needs of sustainable use of the geothermal resources, the Geothermal Division put forward a series of policies that aim to encourage cascaded use of geothermal water, promote reinjection of the return water from space heating and control the drilling of new geothermal wells. Recently, the Geothermal Division has funded a few geothermal research projects. This will increase the effectiveness of its decision-making. The experience of geothermal management in Beijing has been widely adopted by other cities and provinces in China.