Meet the editors

Zayre I. González Acevedo obtained a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, specializing in the environment, from the Technological Institute of Toluca, Mexico, in 1998; a master's degree in chemical engineering (process integration) from the University of Guanajuato, Mexico in 2002; and a Dr. rer. nat. (*magna cum laude*) in environmental geochemistry from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, in 2006. She

was a researcher at Mexico's National Institute of Nuclear Research from 2006 to 2012 and has been at the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada, Baja California, since 2012. She was responsible for Work Package 9, 'Environmental, Social and Economic Impacts of Enhanced and Super-Hot Geothermal Systems' in the GEMex project 'International Cooperation in Research and Development between Mexico and the European Union in Geothermal Energy' (2018-2021), and Project 25, CeMIE-Geo, 'Sustainable Development and Environmental Impact Assessment of three Geothermal Exploration Zones with Exploitation Potential in Mexico' (2014-2018).

Marco Antonio García Zarate specialized in the Optical Laboratory of the Applied Physics Department of the CICESE(Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada) with a CONACYT (National Council of Science and Technology in Mexico) scholarship from July 1980 to July 1981. He received a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Technological Institute of Ensenada in 2010. Later, Dr. Zarate pursued

a Master of Science in Arid Zone Ecosystem Management at the Faculty of Science of the Autonomous University of Baja California, with a CONACYT scholarship, and received Honourable Mention in August 2013. He received his Ph.D. in Environment and Development from the Autonomous University of Baja California, Mexico in October 2016., with a CONACYT scholarship and Honourable Mention. In February 2017, he was awarded the Scholar Merit by the Autonomous University of Baja California. Currently, Dr. Zarate is a teacher at the undergraduate, master's, and industrial levels, and has been working at the Centre for Scientific Research and Higher Education in Ensenada, Baja California since 1997.

## Contents


Preface

Geothermal energy is the heat that comes from the inner layers of the Earth. This heat can be used directly in the production processes such as heating buildings, aquaculture, farming, and so on, or indirectly to produce electricity from the water steam that comes from deep (1000–3000 m) geothermal wells. The source of geothermal energy is mainly attributed to the natural movement of oceanic and continental tectonic plates, which when colliding or separating from geologically active regions in which the phenomena of plate subduction or divergent plates occur causes hydrothermalism. Therefore, a geothermal system is made up of three main elements: a heat source, a reservoir, and a fluid, which is the medium that transfers the heat. The heat source can be either a magmatic intrusion at a very

Within the framework of the fight against climate change, geothermal energy is becoming increasingly important among renewable energy sources due to its mature technology, efficiency, and sustainability. In addition, its gas emissions are mainly water steam, reducing the negative impact on our planet. However, only 15% of the world's known geothermal reserves are exploited for global electricity production, which constitutes a very small fraction of the immense amount of energy available on Earth. Today, many countries have taken advantage of their geothermal resources. The United States and the Philippines are the largest producers of electricity from

A geothermal power plant has several advantages, including reliability, independence and the fact that it is relatively inexhaustible, emits few pollutants, uses smaller land compared with solar energy, and contributes to the development of

Recent scientific studies related to the development of improved exploration and exploitation techniques for new generations of geothermal systems show that, in the medium term, geothermal power generation will become a key element in the energy mix. Not only as a commitment to the use of renewable energies, but also as a commitment to technological development and the creation of economic activity

Geothermal energy is an energy source with great potential. The installation of renewable energies can lead to greater performance, efficiency, and results. As such, this book provides four representative case studies from Africa, Asia, Europe, and America, highlighting the social, economic, and environmental challenges these countries have addressed to developing geothermal energy and using geothermal heat to ensure the sustainability of the resource. It also discusses the different aspects of

high temperature (> 600°C) or a reservoir.

geothermal energy.

and, therefore, employment.

rural areas.
