Technology:

Can Certain Geothermal Technologies Better Withstand Climate Change than Others? (Renewable Energy World)

As superstorms like Typhoon Haiyan strike at an increasing rate, we are learning which technologies hold up best.

Tanganon Geothermal Plant, Leyte Island,
Philippines (Photo by Cepi Budi Mansyur, Ormoc City)

Nearly one month after Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Philippines, affecting more than 12 million people and killing almost 6,000, many residents are still sitting in the dark. The Superstorm not only decimated the islands’ transmission systems, it knocked out one of its main power sources — geothermal.

Clustered on the hardest hit island of Leyte, geothermal plants were a sitting duck for Haiyan’s harshest wrath. All five plants located on the island, totaling more than 600 megawatts (MW) of capacity, were incapacitated immediately following the storm. But in the weeks that followed, two plants were able to start putting some power back onto the grid, and revealed that the type of technology used may make a life-changing difference.

“Somehow the binary systems survived the disaster a little bit better. Maybe because they are a little bit more rugged. Maybe because they are a bit more low profile and can better withstand high winds,” said Nir Wolfe, vice president of sales and business development at Ormat Technologies.

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