In the third quarter of 2023, three new contracts were signed for the performance of tasks within the state geological survey. All projects will be funded by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. As at the end of September 2023, the Institute had already implemented 82 projects funded by this source.

Preliminary assessment of the potential for thermal energy storage in aquifers in Poland (ATES)

The project entitled Preliminary Assessment of the Potential for Thermal Energy Storage in Aquifers in Poland (ATES) was prepared at the request of the Chief Geologist of the Country in reference to the “Long-term Programme for the Development of Geothermal Resources in Poland” (Road Map for Geothermal Development in Poland). The task will run until 30 September 2024 and is headed by dr Monika Konieczyńska from the Department of Environmental Geology.

The main objective of the project is a comprehensive analysis of the national geological and hydrogeological conditions occurring at depths of up to 200 m below sea level. The research will focus on the possibilities of obtaining energy and storing low-temperature heat and cold in the range from about 5°C to about 25°C. The analysis will be based on archival materials and resources of the geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemical databases of PGI-PIB.

Provision was also made for additional groundwater sampling at selected points for additional chemical analyses of the waters mainly for inorganic compounds. The results of the research will be presented on the websites geolog.pgi.gov.pl; geologia.pgi.gov.pl. In the event of a positive assessment of the feasibility of the ATES technology in Poland, the most promising region(s) for the implementation of a pilot installation will be selected.

An important element of the project will also be an analysis of the environmental impacts of energy storage systems in shallow aquifers and the potential environmental hazards of such systems, as well as possible conflicts of operation of ATES facilities with other infrastructure, including existing and future groundwater intakes.

Due to the significance of the research undertaken and its nationwide scope, the project is being carried out in scientific cooperation with the Institute of Mineral Raw Materials and Energy Management of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. Cooperation with a wide team of lawyers specializing in various areas of law is intended to ensure not only the analysis of existing regulations, but also the identification of potential weaknesses of the applicable legal system in the context of ATES technology and the proposal of new solutions.

More information: https://www.pgi.gov.pl/aktualnosci/display/14296-pig-pib-oceni-mozliwosc-magazynowania-energii-cieplnej-w-poziomach-wodonosnych.html

Increasing the digital resource of the Central Geological Database. Continuous task PSG

Project entitled Increasing the digital resource of the Central Geological Database. The PSG's continuous task is a continuation of the work started in 2019 to enter data and metadata into the CBDG from archived and incoming documentation to the NAG on an ongoing basis. The project manager is Izabella Sadowa from the Department of Field Systems Maintenance and Development. The task will be completed by mid-2026.

The scope of work will cover the following groups of data: documents, borehole data, analytical data, geophysical data (e.g. seismic data, drilling geophysics, gravimetry, magnetics, magnetotellurics, electrical resistivity measurements) and geological collections. The quality and completeness of previously collected data will also be improved.

The Central Geological Database is one of the main tools for collecting, processing and sharing data of the state geological survey. The demand for CBDG data is still very high and growing, as evidenced by the requests for access coming into the National Geological Archives. The recipients of the data are the main stakeholders in the activities of the geological survey - the Ministry of Environment, other ministries and administrations, universities and key geological companies.

Geodiversity conservation, geoeducation and geotourism

The project entitled Protecting geodiversity, geoeducation and geotourism, headed by Katarzyna Szadkowska of the Lower Silesia Branch of PGI-PIB, is a continuation of the task entitled Disseminating knowledge about geology, mining and the protection of geodiversity, carried out in 2019-2022. The project envisages a number of multi-year, nationwide activities supporting the development of geotourism in Poland, contributing to the protection of geodiversity, raising public awareness of geoeducation, and providing substantive support for local geotourism initiatives.

The results of the task will include:

• designs of geotourism trails and boards (field and/or virtual), based on the geological, geomorphological, natural and cultural values of given areas,
• conceptual designs for the development of selected geotourism sites, in particular former quarries and geoeducational boards and charts,
• geoeducational publications and applications for the protection of valuable inanimate nature sites.

It will be possible to reach diverse audiences through a wide variety of media: from the conventional, such as publications (including brochures, guides, folders) or board-based educational trails, to the more modern. It is also envisaged to participate, organise and conduct a variety of educational and geotourism activities together with the development of the necessary content material and extensive cooperation with other actors in the field of geodiversity conservation and geotourism.

The project will run until 31 December 2025.