Sustainability index study on geothermal resources: the case of Kirklareli/Asilbeyli

In this study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted for the sustainability assessment of geothermal energy, with the information obtained from the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, a systematic and thematic approach was followed to create a framework for establishing sustainability indicators. Within this framework, 12 out of the 17 goals set by the United Nations (UN) were selected as the sustainability goals of the region. Among the 248 indicators under the UN goals, 24 indicators were evaluated for the region and categorized under social, economic, and environmental themes to create a framework. Within this framework, indicators were indexed, and the assigned index values were arithmetically summed to calculate the total sustainability index. The results of the study indicate that the sustainable use of geothermal energy will contribute positively to environmentally friendly renewable energy use in Kırklareli in terms of economic, social, and environmental sustainability indices.