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| Raft River Geothermal Plant, Idaho (Photo by Ian Crawford) |
Phase II of the ongoing plan to increase the output at Raft River from its current generation level of 10 MWs, up to its contract maximum of 13 MWs, commenced in March with the successful installation of the pump in well RRG-5.
Production from RRG-5 started on March 21, 2017 and is currently operating at the rate of 1,100 gallons per minute. The addition of this flow to the plant has increased net power production by approximately 0.71 MWs.
To date, the reservoir response has been significantly better than projected, with minimal drawdown in well RRG-5 and no impact to water level in the adjoining wells. The well temperature is currently stable at over 247°F. The next step to optimize output from the wellfield is to increase the capacity of the injection system. After an injection pump is upgraded, a further increase in fluid flow to the plant is expected, which will result in a corresponding increase in generation, plus allow for additional production well increases.