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A GEOTHERMAL project in Switzerland has been permanently shut down after a government study warned it would cause earthquakes that could cause more than $0.5b of local damage.

The $60m project, operated by Geothermal Explorers, was suspended in 2006 after the earthquakes it generated in Basel caused $9m of damage to local buildings; no one was hurt.

The report says that the project would have caused 17–170 earthquakes in and around Basel across its 30-year lifespan. Chances are low that the quakes would cause bodily harm but the report estimates that the project would cause $6m worth of damage every year and had a 15% chance of triggering an earthquake large enough to cause more than $0.5b worth of damage.

Markus Häring, ceo of Geothermal Explorers, goes on trial next week on charges equating to reckless damage of property because of the quake his project caused in 2006.

The report comes as support increases for geothermal power. Recent projects have been approved in the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and the UK. The Basel project is not expected to have a negative effect on future projects as each site is different.