Government silence on decision for or against Haute-Sorne geothermal project, Switzerland
Glovelier, Jura/ Switzerland (source: Geo-Energie Suisse)
Alexander Richter
5 Feb 2021
There is total silence from the government of the canton of Jura in Switzerland on the future of the Haute-Sorne geothermal project by Geo-Energie Suisse.
Nine months after the opening a procedure to abandon the deep geothermal project Haute-Sorne by Geo-Energie Suisse, apparently nothing has changed on the side of the Jura government. The revocation procedure is still ongoing. At the start of the year, opponents and supporters of the project continue to polish their weapons.
Responsible Citizens Jura, a group opposed to deep geothermal energy in Haute-Sorne, drew the first: no, the Jura state will not have to pay millions of francs in damages to the promoter, in the event of abandonment of the project, writes it Tuesday. “We trust the Jura government, but things have to move,” said Jack Aubry, group leader. “It’s a long time but we will continue the fight as long as the project is not definitively buried,” he adds.
The next day, the promoter came out of the woods: Geo-Energie Suisse presented technical advances made in the Gotthard massif. He thus hopes to give “new impetus” to the Haute-Sorne project. “We are awaiting the next communication from the Jura government. The authorization remains valid as long as it is not formally withdrawn. Our objective is not to obtain compensation but to carry out the project ”, affirms Olivier Zingg, project manager at Geo-Energie Suisse.
We are also growing impatient in the political camp: “Nothing is moving. We can see that the situation is complicated for the Government. The file is rotten, ”says Loïc Dobler, PS deputy for Haute-Sorne.
For the moment, nothing very concrete can be expected from the Jura executive. The minister in charge of the case David Eray refuses to speak because of the ongoing procedure. The canton’s legal service is on the move and has requested external support for certain aspects.
The executive has nevertheless been activated since last April: discussions have taken place with the promoter. “The great scientific and technical complexity, but also legal” and the “political, economic and societal” aspects explain the length of the procedure, according to Jacques Chapatte, spokesperson for the Government.
The executive will therefore be able to confirm the abandonment of deep geothermal energy in Haute-Sorne or continue the project with possible adaptations. The moment of the decision is not fixed.
Source: RFJ
