USA, Oregon:

Oregon Tech Sues Maker of Geothermal Pump It Says Failed (OPB)

The 1 MW geothermal power plant at the Klamath Falls campus of OIT

Oregon Institute of Technology has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the maker of a pump that was to supply geothermal water for the university’s power plant in Klamath Falls.

Oregon Tech attorneys say in a federal complaint filed in Medford that the equipment from Hydro Resources failed shortly after it was installed last spring. The pump was sent out for repairs, but problems persisted and the university opted to buy a more expensive pump from a second contractor.

The lawsuit says Oregon Tech had to meet its energy demands for eight months by buying power from a utility at a cost that was likely more than $1,000 per day.

The suit also claims portions of the failed equipment broke off, fell into the well and are believed stuck. Oregon Tech says it has spent $170,000 trying to remove the equipment.

Read More.......