Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Canada:

Saskatchewan Geothermal Power Project Ahead of Schedule (Estevan Mercury)

With first-stage funding now assured, an ambitious geothermal power production project in southeast Saskatchewan near Estevan is moving ahead.

Kirsten Marcia (nee Muir), a former Estevan resident who is president of Deep Earth Energy Production Corp. (DEEP) of Saskatoon, announced that SaskPower and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) have combined to guarantee $2 million for a front end engineering design (FEED) study. The process, she said, will ensure the economical and technical viability of geothermal energy as a resource for clean electrical power. The two agencies will share the cost of this first stage on a 50/50 basis.

“It’s base load power from well-known geothermal resources,” said Marcia, who spoke with The Mercury on Aug. 26, explaining how the entire project could roll out over a short period of time to provide up to five MWe of power in the first phase and then expand.

Because drilling and down hole work processes are so well-known in southeast Saskatchewan, Marcia said there was very little that had to be explained to local enthusiasts. She said a geothermal project similar to this power-generating plan generally costs about $7 million.

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