January 2020

Friday, January 31, 2020

Geothermal Energy News from Around the World

Global Geothermal News - Weekly Update (Geothermal Resources Council)

A round-up of this week's international geothermal energy news.......

Click on the links below to view the whole story and other news on Global Geothermal News.

Germany: Employment Opportunity for PhD in Seismic Exploration of Geothermal Reservoirs

Vacancy - PhD position on Distributed Strain Sensing for Seismic Exploration of Geothermal Reservoirs (Researchgate)

The Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Starting date: as soon as possible
Fixed term: 3 years

Within the BMWi (German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) funded project SENSE – “Distributed fiber optic strain sensing along existing telecommunication networks for efficient seismic exploration and monitoring of geothermal reservoirs”, we will develop and apply the distributed strain technology to acquire seismic information along existing telecommunication infrastructure. We aim to explore the shallow and deep subsurface using state of the art passive and active seismic exploration techniques. Please submit your application online by 16th February 2020

More Information and Apply.........

Italy: Researchers Counter Misinformation About Geothermal Energy Emissions

Geotermia: le emissioni delle centrali toscane spiegate dai ricercatori dell’Università di Siena - Geothermal energy: emissions from Tuscan power plants explained by researchers at the University of Siena (COSVIG)

Parisi e Basosi: «Molte delle questioni sollevate a proposito della geotermia sono infondate, o almeno ingiustificata ne è la risonanza mediatica attribuita»

In realtà gli autori dello studio – Nicola Ferrara, Riccardo Basosi e Maria Laura Parisi, dell’Università di Siena – spiegano che i dati riportati da NoGesi sono tutti sovrastimati (tranne per l’arsenico) e soprattutto slegati dal contesto di riferimento.

(From Google Translate) Parisi and Basosi: "Many of the issues raised regarding geothermal energy are unfounded, or at least unjustified according to the media coverage attributed to them"

In reality the authors of the study - Nicola Ferrara, Riccardo Basosi and Maria Laura Parisi, of the University of Siena - explain that the data reported by NoGesi are all overestimated (except for arsenic) and above all unrelated to the context of reference.

Leggi di più........ Read More........

Netherlands: Upcoming Journal of Geosciences to be Dedicated to Geothermal Energy

Special issue of the Netherlands Journal of Geosciences focuses on geothermal energy - Editorial

The goal of this special issue - Netherlands Journal of Geosciences Volume 98 - is to give fresh insights into geothermal plays and projects and associated challenges, as well as to provide a broad scope of the various disciplines involved in this business. The papers were written and revised in the period between late 2018 and late 2019. A first set of papers has been published in December 2019. The complete special issue will be published in spring 2020.

The papers in this special issue are grouped into six sections.

In the first section, an introduction to geothermal energy in the Netherlands is presented.
This is followed by a section that provides an overview of projects in European countries close to the Netherlands that have their own type of geothermal exploitation and plays. Learnings can be drawn from these projects and industries, some of which have been active for decades already.
The third section focuses on the different geothermal plays in the Netherlands. It first gives an extensive introduction to the Dutch subsurface and its role in geothermal energy, after which a number of papers discuss a specific area within each play. These plays and areas have their own specific challenges, e.g. connectivity, presence, predictability of reservoir characteristics.
In the fourth section, the role of geothermal energy in the energy transition is described and an outlook on optimization of geothermal developments with both a play-based portfolio approach and a dual hydrocarbon–geothermal exploitation is presented.
The last section touches upon several operational aspects and technical hazards and risks that are (possibly) associated with the exploitation of geothermal energy.

Morocco: Government to Organize Geothermal Energy Development

Morocco Explores Geothermal Energy Opportunities (Morocco World News)

The government is currently preparing a regulatory text relating to geothermal energy and its fields of exploration, research, and exploitation.

In line with Morocco’s vision for transitioning to more renewable energies, the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, and the Environment is studying potential opportunities in the field of geothermal energy.

The Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, and the Environment, has organized a workshop to present the potential of geothermal energy in Morocco.

Morocco’s Minister of Energy Aziz Rabbah presided over the event at the ministry’s headquarters in Rabat on Wednesday, January 29.

During the workshop, representatives from the National Office of Petroleum and Mines (ONHYM) presented the results of studies about geothermal energy and its use. The presentation also revolved around the potential of geothermal energy in Morocco, especially in the Oriental region and in the southern provinces.

Costa Rica: ICE Signals a Geothermal Future

ICE Ends Era of Building Hydroelectric Plants (Q Costa Rica News)

Costa Rica Utility will most likely choose to build more geothermal power plants.

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) announced the end of an era by ruling out the construction of more of its own hydroelectric plants; a decision that could lead to a reduction of electricity rates in Costa Rica.

Hazel Cepeda Hodgson, ICE general manager, confirmed that the entity does not foresee new own power generation works for at least seven years.

The forecast is that it will be until 2027 when ICE will review if it is necessary to increase the capacity for generation and if so, it will most likely opt for geothermal generation.

“Although ICE will not enter into the construction of new projects in the coming years, the analysis and planning of the energy matrix dictates that by 2027 we review whether we should undertake a new project at the end of the useful life of some of our plants. If so, it would be in geothermal energy where there is great potential,” Cepeda explained in an interview with La Nación on January 23.

When asked if this implied for the ICE to give up new hydro projects, Cepeda replied: “Definitely. What we will work on will be research and development very cautiously in geothermal energy”.

For now, the Instituto plans for the year 2034 the possible expansion of six of its own geothermal parks and once in operation, a wind farm of its own (there are another six planned, but with private capital) and two private solar projects.

USA: 31% Boost for Budget for Geothermal Technologies

Final FY20 Appropriations: DOE Applied Energy R&D (AIP)

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funds a wide variety of R&D programs as well as initiatives to promote energy efficiency in homes, buildings, and industry. Its budget is increasing 20% to $2.85 billion and has now increased by nearly 50% over the last five years.

Within the increase for geothermal energy, Congress is providing $20 million for the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE), a project to test and evaluate enhanced geothermal systems that is currently underway at a site in Utah. Congress has already provided the project with enough funding to see the project through its anticipated five year period of operations. DOE therefore only requested $5 million for the site’s eventual closure, but policy legislation pending in Congress indicates there is interest in both the House and Senate in expanding the project to at least one additional site.

Read More.........

United Kingdom: “The abandoned coal mines in the UK present an enormous opportunity to us as a source of geothermal energy.”

Seaham Garden Village to be powered by unique mine water energy scheme (Sunderland Echo)

An ambitious ‘garden village’ development will be heated using a unique scheme using mine water energy.

The Seaham Garden Village development will consist of 750 affordable homes, 750 private homes, a school, shops, and medical and innovation centres. The scheme is in close proximity to existing commercial buildings, a supermarket and the coastal village of Seaham, with a population of around 21,000.

The new development will be supplied with geothermal heat from the Coal Authority’s nearby Dawdon mine water treatment scheme, which treats water abstracted from an extensive network of flooded abandoned coal mines in the area.

Mine heat can be an energy source that is unaffected by external factors, which developers say will mean it has a stable price not subject to future variations or rises in energy prices. It is a renewable energy source that also has the potential to have a zero carbon footprint, they added.

Jeremy Crooks, head of innovation at the Coal Authority, said the government body, is committed to creating a better future from the UK’s mining past, including managing many mine water treatment schemes across Britain. The authority estimates there could be enough energy in the UK’s flooded, abandoned mines to heat all of the homes on the coalfields.

“The abandoned coal mines in the UK present an enormous opportunity to us as a source of geothermal energy.”

Read More......... Brochure.........

Global: Calendar of Geothermal Energy Events

Geothermal Energy Calendar from the Geothermal Resources Council

Meeting of the SoCal Section of the Geothermal Resources Council
31 January, 3 pm, American Legion, Brawley, Imperial County, California
https://geothermalresourcescouncil.blogspot.com/2020/01/usa-california-geothermal_21.html

Tackling environmental concerns for deploying geothermal energy in Europe (GEOENVI)

4-5 February, Brussels, Belgium
https://www.geoenvi.eu/events/tackling-environmental-concerns-for-deploying-geothermal-energy-in-europe-save-the-date/

GT'2020 Türkiye Jeotermal Kongresi
5-6 February, Ankara, Turkey
https://geothermalturkey.org/

Stanford Geothermal Workshop - 45th Annual
10-12 February, Stanford, California, USA
https://geothermal.stanford.edu/events/workshop

GEMex Final Conference (GEMex Project)
18-19 February, Potsdam, Germany
http://www.gemex-h2020.eu/

Webinar: A Global Geothermal Perspective, with additional insights from New Zealand
24 February, 22:30 - 23:30
https://iga.wildapricot.org/event-3697435

European Geothermal PhD Days (EGPD 2020)
24-26 February, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
http://www.pau.edu.tr/egpd2020/en

Geothermal Production Technology (IGA Academy)
4-5 March, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
https://www.geothermal-energy.org/event/geothermal-production-technology/

GeoTHERM - Expo & Congress
5-6 March, Messe, Offenburg, Germany
https://www.geotherm-offenburg.de/de/geotherm_messe_kongress_geothermie

Geothermal Project Development, Economics and Risks (IGA Academy)
11-12 March, Basel, Switzerland
https://www.geothermal-energy.org/event/geothermal-project-development-economics-and-risks/

Webinar: Geothermal: State of Play (IGA Academy)
26 March, 13:00 - 14:00
https://www.geothermal-energy.org/event/geothermal-state-of-play/

3rd IGC Invest Geothermal Finance & Investment Forum
26 March, Frankfurt, Germany
https://www.investgeothermal.com/

DGG/SEG Joint Geothermal Workshop: Geophysical Exploration from Fossil to Geothermal Reservoirs
27 March, Munich, Germany
https://dgg2020.dgg-tagung.de/deutsch/veranstaltungen/seg-dgg-workshop/

Joint GRC-SPE Workshop - High Temperature Well Cementing
“Exploring Geothermal and Oil and Gas Synergies”
30 March - 1 April, San Diego, California, USA
https://www.cement.mygeoenergynow.org/

9th ITB International Geothermal Workshop 2020
1-2 April, Bandung, Indonesia.
https://geothermal.itb.ac.id/

World Geothermal Congress 2020
27 April - 1 May, Reykjavik, Iceland
www.wgc2020.com/

EGU General Assembly 2020
Including session: Exploration, utilization and monitoring of conventional and unconventional geothermal resources
3-8 May, Vienna, Austria
https://www.egu2020.eu/

Geothermal Regulations, Legislations and Incentives (IGA Academy)
6-7 May, Basel, Switzerland
https://www.geothermal-energy.org/event/geothermal-regulations-legislations-and-incentives/

The 7th International Meeting on Heat Flow and the Geothermal Field
(GFZ German Research Centre for Geoscience)
12-14 May, Potsdam, Germany
http://www.ihfc-iugg.org/meetings/2020-potsdam

GEOHeat 2020 (Research Geotechnological Center of Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences)
1-4 September, Petropavlovsk, Kamchatsky, Russia
http://www.igc-geoheat.com

Geothermal Volcanology Workshop 2020 (Institute of Volcanology and Seismology)
5-9 September, Petropavlovsk, Kamchatsky, Russia.
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/conferences/GeothermVolc2020/indexEN.html

1st Inaugural Canadian Geothermal Summit 2020 (UAlberta Geothermal Research Group)
Commercialization and research of Canada's vast geothermal resources
9-10 September, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
https://www.cgsummit2020.com/

Geothermics for Petroleum Geoscientists (IGA Academy)
16-17 September, London, UK
https://www.geothermal-energy.org/event/geothermics-for-petroleum-geoscientists/

44th GRC Annual Meeting & Expo
18-21 October, Reno, Nevada, USA
https://reno2020.mygeoenergynow.org/

Eighth Africa Rift Geothermal Conference (ARGeo-C8)
2-8 November, UNEP headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya
http://theargeo.org/

COP 26 - Climate Change Conference
9-20 November, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
https://unfccc.int/

Geothermal for Heating and Cooling (IGA Academy)
18-19 November, Warsaw, Poland
https://www.geothermal-energy.org/event/geothermal-for-heating-and-cooling/

45th GRC Annual Meeting & Expo
3-6 October, 2021, San Diego, California, USA
https://www.mygeoenergynow.org/

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Global: Next Issue of the Geothermal Magazine Available Next Week

GRC Bulletin - January/February 2020

Volume 49, No. 1 of the internationally-renowned geothermal energy magazine will be published next week.

In this issue:

President’s Message, by Andy Sabin
Executive Director's Message, by William Pettitt
Communication from the GRC, by Ian Crawford
Inside Geothermal: North America, Central & South America, Australasia, Asia, Africa, Europe, Education, Science & Technology, Climate Change, by Ian Crawford
Plaine de Garonne Energies (PGE): A New Geothermal District Heating in Bordeaux, France, by Delphine Patriarche, et al
Geothermal Energy in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, by Zack Nolan and Luis Ruano
The Vikings & Geothermal Iceland, by Susan Fox Hodgson
An Introduction to the GRC Student Committee: Progress and Plans for 2020, by the GRC Student Committee
In Memoriam - Brian Berard and Mike Shook
Publications, Websites, Videos & Maps
Calendar of Events

Over sixty (60) pages of essential news and information is available to GRC members only. Don't miss out! Become a GRC Member and be informed.

USA: Reference Manual for Green Taxes Including for Geothermal Projects Updated

Green Tax Incentive Compendium: Federal and State Tax Incentives for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency ( Robinson+Cole)

Jerome L. Garciano of Robinson+Cole has updated his Green Tax Incentive Compendium which includes information about incentives in the USA for geothermal projects.

This volume presents certain federal and state tax incentives promoting the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. Each section outlines the basic features and regulatory requirements for a tax program which provides financial incentives for clean technology development through renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The January 2020 release includes the tax extenders in the recently enacted Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2019.

Green Tax Incentive Compendium: Federal and State Tax Incentives for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PDF)

USA, Nevada: GRC Supports Legislation That Would Expand Investment Tax Credit for Geothermal

Letter in support of the Solar and Geothermal Tax Credit Expansion Act (News Release)

Dear Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen:

On behalf of the geothermal industry, we write in support of the Solar and Geothermal Tax Credit Expansion Act and to express our appreciation for your leadership in supporting geothermal energy.

As the professional association for the geothermal industry and community, the GRC can attest to the vital importance clean energy tax credits have been to the success of geothermal energy business, and strongly supports and applauds your leadership in extending and enhancing the §48 investment tax credit (ITC) and §25 residential renewable energy tax credit.

Read More..........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - USA, Nevada: Legislation Would Expand Investment Tax Credit for Geothermal to Full 30% Rate for 5 Years

USA, Nevada: Legislation Would Expand Investment Tax Credit for Geothermal to Full 30% Rate for 5 Years

Cortez Masto, Rosen Introduce Bill to Boost Investments in Nevada’s Booming Solar and Geothermal Industries (News Release)

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced legislation to encourage the growth of Nevada’s renewable energy projects by extending and expanding renewable energy credits. The Solar and Geothermal Tax Credit Expansion Act would extend the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and residential renewable energy tax credit, as well as create tax parity for geothermal and other renewable energy technologies. The bill will support groundbreaking renewable energy projects and fuel deployment, jobs, innovation and carbon reduction.

“Geothermal energy is emerging as the critical renewable resource that enables more solar, wind, and other renewable resources to be developed while eliminating greenhouse gas emissions cost-effectively,” said Paul Thomsen, Vice President of Ormat Technologies and Chairman of the Geothermal Resources Council Policy Committee. “We commend Senator Rosen’s and Senator Cortez Masto’s call for an extension of the ITC available to geothermal which recognizes its value and will provide the market signals that will unleash project development throughout the renewable sector.”

The Solar and Geothermal Tax Credit Expansion Act encourages the deployment, growth and innovation of these growing technologies by:

Fully reinstating the maximum credit with a 5-year extension of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar energy property, fiber optic solar, fuel cells and small wind, retroactively delaying the incremental phase out that began in 2020.
Extending the credit for geothermal heat pumps, microturbines and combined heat and power systems for an additional 5 years from their current expiration date of January 1, 2022 and enhancing the credit to the full 30% rate.
Expanding the ITC for geothermal to the full 30% rate for 5 years, providing for equal tax treatment to other renewable technologies like solar.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Read More.........

Mongolia: Superb Photos from Geothermal Exploration Expedition

Geothermal exploration for green energy in Mongolia (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich | Institute of Geophysics)

One of several unsuccessful geothermal wells at the Gyalgar hot spring. Warm water with a temperature of 44.4°C is pouring out of the abandoned wellhead. The flow rate and the temperature of this and other exploration wells were not sufficient for geothermal energy production.

The burning of coal for heating is a major cause of harmful air pollution and massive greenhouse gas emissions in Mongolia’s cities. This photo gallery provides authentic insights into the progress of introducing a scientific framework for geothermal exploration. Through capacity-building in exploration techniques the project builds upon existing studies to ensure future drilling success.

The Arkhangai province in central Mongolia is rich in geothermal resources that manifest themselves in numerous natural hot springs. Particularly the province’s district centre, Tsetserleg, could largely benefit from the installation of a combined, geothermal heat and power plant. However, previous attempts to drill wells for geothermal energy generation did not succeed.

With this project we introduce a scientific framework for geothermal exploration in Mongolia. It will help to locate geothermal resources in the subsurface and ensure that future wells are drilled successfully. It contributes to seeking solutions for alternatives to burning coal for heating and energy and indirectly addresses major causes of harmful air pollution and of massive greenhouse gas emissions in Mongolia’s cities.

The project is a collaboration between the Geothermal Energy and Geofluids group and the Earth and Planetary Magnetism Group of ETH Zurich, the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the National Renewable Energy Centre in Ulaanbaatar.

The photo gallery emerged from a geophysical survey conducted in May and June 2019 at the natural hot spring area near Tsetserleg, Arkhangai province, Mongolia.

Read More........... Project Website..........

Finland: 40 MWth Espoo Geothermal District Heating Project Will Help Carbon-Neutrality Goal

Espoo and Fortum collaboration on the city's most significant climate action: Espoo Clean Heat project to discontinue coal combustion in 2025 (News Release)

Otaniemi geothermal plant to be commissioned this year

Fortum and the City of Espoo have committed to carbon-neutral district heating production in the district heating network operating in the Espoo, Kauniainen and Kirkkonummi regions in the 2020s. The district heating network supplies heat to 250,000 end users in homes and offices.

The development work that began in 2016 was accelerated last autumn when a new intermediate goal was set to discontinue the use of coal in 2025. The accelerated carbon-neutrality project is called Espoo Clean Heat.

On 29 January 2020, Espoo Mayor Jukka Mäkelä and Fortum CEO Pekka Lundmark signed a new agreement that continues the implementation of shared energy targets and the development of urban solutions.

The production of carbon-neutral district heating in Espoo made advancements during the last decade by using waste heat from wastewater, for example. Last year about one quarter of the production was already carbon-neutral, and this year the share will increase to 40% when the Kivenlahti bio-heating facility and the Otaniemi geothermal plant are commissioned and when one of the two coal-fired units is decommissioned at the Suomenoja power plant.

Canada: Geothermal "will preserve the natural landscape of our ancestral lands for generations to come in a manner that wind, solar or hydro cannot." - First Nation Chief

Eavor Yukon and Carmacks Development Corporation Reach Agreement on bringing Eavor’s Green Baseload Energy Solution to the Yukon (News Release)

Today Eavor Yukon (Eavor) and the Carmacks Development Corporation (CDC) announce a partnership to deliver green baseload energy for the Yukon using a new technology (Eavor-Loop) that was proven last year in a field scale pilot. Eavor and CDC today signed an agreement to solidify this partnership.

The Carmacks Development Corporation is wholly-owned by the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation. Chief Russell Blackjack believes this new way of generating baseload power will be significant for the Yukon. “It is a great pleasure to be working through our Development Corporation with Eavor. They have a fantastic product that we believe will revolutionize the way energy is produced here. Of particular interest to our Nation, because of Eavor’s small surface footprint, it will preserve the natural landscape of our ancestral lands for generations to come in a manner that wind, solar or hydro cannot. This, and the fact that it’s the only solution available to us that is both reliable and green, made Eavor an easy choice for us to partner with.”

Read More...........

Europe: Potential for Geothermal Energy in Coal Regions

Energy transition can provide alternative for jobs at risk in coal regions (European Commission)

A new Joint Research Centre (JRC) report shows that in more than half of the EU coal regions the switch to clean energy can create more jobs than currently exist in the coal sector.

The report follows the adoption of the European Green Deal communication and the announcement of the EU’s Just Transition Mechanism, which aims to support communities most affected by the transition to climate neutrality by 2050, especially in the EU’s coal regions.

The deployment of renewable energy technologies in the coal regions can create up to 315,000 jobs by 2030, and up to 460,000 by 2050.

This report presents a concise overview of the role that clean energy technologies can play for the identified regions in the path to their transition from coal mining activity under a low carbon energy consumption and production lence. The focus is on power generation technologies from wind, solar photovoltaics (free standing and roof-top), bioenergy, geothermal sources, as well as on coal-fired power plants with carbon capture.

When it comes to the specific potential of the coal regions, we find that the sustainable potential ranges from 0.01 MW for South Yorkshire (UKE3) to 0.50 GW for Castilla y León (ES41) (see Figure left). The top 5 regions with high potential are in Spain, Romania and Germany: Castilla y León (ES41), Castilla-La Mancha (ES42), Aragón (ES24), Vest (RO42) and Brandenburg (DE40).

Specifically, the estimated values indicate a potential that is so far untapped in these countries. Besides Germany with a 0.03 GW capacity of geothermal energy in 2018 (IRENA, 2019), Spain and Romania have insignificant geothermal power capacity.

Read More..........

USA: One Fifth of Energy CFOs Choose Geothermal to Green the Future

EGEB: Energy CFOs agree that solar will dominate the sustainability market (Electrek)

Assurance, tax, and advisory services firm BDO has released a new CFO outlook survey called, “Energy Goes Green.” The 2020 BDO Energy Outlook Survey polled 100 chief financial officers (CFOs) at US energy organizations with revenues ranging from $250 million to $3 billion in October and November 2019.

The overall finding is that energy CFOs agree that green energy is the future. 38% of oil and gas CFOs felt the most dominant alternative energy by 2023 would be solar, followed by 28% choosing hydroelectric, and 16% choosing wind. 38% of power generation CFOs agreed about solar, but 22% chose wind, and 20% chose geothermal.

If their opinions here are any indicator of their planned investments, we may see a diverse array of renewable markets grow—including solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and more.

Read More...........

USA: Electricity from Renewables to be 38% of Energy Mix by 2050 - EIA

EIA expects U.S. electricity generation from renewables to soon surpass nuclear and coal (News Release)

In the latest long-term projections, the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects electricity generation from renewable sources such as wind and solar [and geothermal] to surpass nuclear and coal by 2021 and to surpass natural gas in 2045. In the Annual Energy Outlook 2020 (AEO2020) Reference case, the share of renewables in the U.S. electricity generation mix increases from 19% in 2019 to 38% in 2050.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

January 30: USA: Geothermal Electricity Generation to Increase Threefold by 2050 in EIA Cost Assumption Study

Europe: Geothermal News from EGEC

The EGEC Newsletter January 2020 - The Voice of Geothermal in Europe

The January issue of the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) Newsletter is now available.

Click here to download. In this issue:

Policy

Technical Workshop on Innovation Fund to be web-streamed
Just Transition Mechanism must prioritise heat to deliver on the EU zero-carbon target
Sustainable Europe Investment Plan: what renewables need for a zero-carbon 2050
EGEC and the French Industry calling for stability for geothermal electricity in France

News

Geothermal energy for 10,000 homes in Champs-sur-Marne and Noisiel, Paris/ France
Javier Urchueguía elected as New Chair of the RHC ETIP
EBN and Shell joining geothermal heat consortium in the Netherlands
Researchers at PNNL develop more efficient fracturing fluid for geothermal
Geothermal energy contributes to well-being of society, a point to be made

Projects

New database to tackle environmental concerns in geothermal is now online
Have you missed GEMex webinars in 2019? Now they are available online!
GeoSmart issues its 1st newsletter

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Netherlands: In Dutch - Brochure on Role for Geothermal Energy in Heat Networks

Aardwarmte in warmtenetten: startpunt voor uw gemeente - Geothermal heat in heat networks: starting point for your municipality (Stichting Warmtenetwerk)

Voor het verduurzamen van de gebouwde omgeving en het realiseren van de warmtetransitie is er een rol weggelegd voor aardwarmte in warmtenetten. Daarom hebben alle betrokken partijen een informatieve brochure samengesteld.

(From Google Translate) For the sustainability of the built environment and the realization of the heat transition, there is a role for geothermal energy in heat networks. That is why all parties involved have compiled an informative brochure.

Lees verder........ Read More........

Canada: First Eavor Commercial Closed Loop Geothermal Power System to Be Installed in Germany - CEO

Innovative geothermal technology being showcased at central Alberta site (Red Deer Advocate)

Eavor Technologies Inc. completed drilling a pair of 2.4-kilometre deep wells connected by a pair of underground pipelines for its closed-loop geothermal system last September.

Now being tested, the $10-million demonstration project east of Rocky Mountain House in west-central Alberta, Canada, circulates liquids through kilometres of underground well bores, picking up heat before returning to the surface.

Eavor president and CEO John Redfern said testing carried out while the wells were drilled and connected went well, and now work is underway to test and demonstrate the technology’s thermosiphon effect.

“From what I understand, everything is within two per cent of predicted in the (geothermal) model as we put it through its paces,” said Redfern.

Redfern said the first commercial project is expected to be built in Bavaria. “We’ve got a deal there to take over a traditional failed geothermal (system).”

Eavor is already going through the application process in Germany, which is phasing out its coal power. Japan, Italy, France, Netherlands, the Caribbean, the U.S. and Canada have also shown interest.

Read More..........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

Tuesday, September 24, 2019 - Canada: World’s First of its Kind Multi-Lateral Horizontal Drilling Intersection Made at Eavor-Lite Geothermal Project
Friday, August 23, 2019 - Science & Technology: Company Claims Closed Loop Geothermal System can be Implemented Across 80 Percent of the World
Tuesday, August 6, 2019 - Canada: Drilling Begins at Closed Loop Geothermal Power System Demonstration Project
Thursday, April 25, 2019 - Canada: Federal Funding for Closed-Loop Geothermal Demonstration Project in Alberta
Thursday, March 14, 2019 - Canada: Shell Oil to Support Closed-Loop Conduction-Only Geothermal Energy Project

France: Five Day Workshop on Geothermal Energy, Exploration and Production

MEET Geothermal Spring School 2020 (MEET Project)

16-20 March, CY Cergy Paris University, Cergy, France

The MEET Geothermal Spring School 2020 is aiming to:

– allow MEET participants to share their experience obtained during the first 24 months of the project
– learn about geothermal energy, exploration and production thanks to the invitation of international experts
– give the chance to master students, PhD candidates and post-doctoral fellows of MEET project and other EU-funded geothermal projects to gain knowledge and share their results.

Site visits are planed in Paris suburb to see the diversity of direct-use heat production from geothermal, as well as optimization of this heat through electricity power stations.

More Information.........

Science & Technology: Lithium Extraction Project at Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Power Plant

Lithium : de l'or blanc sous le sol alsacien - Lithium: white gold under the Alsatian soil (franceinfo)

Pour produire la matière grâce à l'eau géothermale, il faudrait réussir à l'extraire avant de réinjecter l'eau dans le sous-sol. Aujourd'hui, aucune technologie d'extraction industrielle n'est opérationnelle, mais le groupe français minier Eramet vient de mettre au point un nouveau procédé : une éponge à lithium.

(From Google Translate) To produce the material using geothermal water, it would be necessary to successfully extract it before reinjecting the water into the basement. Today, no industrial extraction technology is operational, but the French mining group Eramet has just developed a new process: a lithium sponge.

Lire la suite.......... Read More..........

USA: Geothermal Electricity Generation to Increase Threefold by 2050 in EIA Cost Assumption Study

Alternative Renewables Cost Assumptions in AEO2020 (EIA)

Reference Case: Geothermal grows from 16.43 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) in 2019 to 52.17 BkWh in 2050.
Low Renewables Cost Case: Geothermal grows from 16.43 BkWh in 2019 to 62.84 BkWh in 2050.
High Renewable Cost Case: Geothermal grows from 16.43 BkWh in 2019 to 53.41 BkWh in 2050.

The increase in renewables generation in the Reference case comes mostly from the increase in solar PV in the electric power sector, which grows more than tenfold from 69 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) in 2019 to 760 BkWh in 2050 (see Figure above). Solar PV in the end-use sectors increases more than fourfold (from 41 BkWh to 182 BkWh) during the same period. Solar PV generation is less affected by cost from the end-use sectors than from the power sector, especially in the residential sector where solar PV adoption is affected by income and social factors. Utility-scale solar PV, on the other hand, is more sensitive to the changes in the cost assumptions. Because solar PV generates during the daytime, it competes directly with natural gas-fired peaking plants.

In the Low Renewables Cost case, utility-scale solar PV is more competitive compared with natural gas-fired generation capacity to meet growing demand. When solar PV is no longer economically competitive, as in the High Renewables Cost case, natural gas-fired generation capacity replaces it as the more cost-competitive generating technology to meet demand. Wind plants generate mostly at night or during the fall and spring when the demand for electricity is typically low; therefore, onshore wind is less affected by the changes in the cost assumptions than solar PV.

In the High Renewable Cost case, which assumes constant installed costs, generation from wind is slightly less in 2050 than in the Reference case. In the Low Renewables Cost case, wind generation increases at a more rapid pace after 2035. While the PTC is phasing-out, through 2023, wind is highly cost-competitive. Wind projects are accelerated in the near term to take advantage of tax credits before they expire. Once expired, the most economically attractive projects absent the tax credit have already been built, at least until electricity demand and economic conditions create new opportunities after 2035.

Read More..........

Czech Republic: Litoměřice Geothermal Project Drills 1,600 Meter Deep Borehole

Why the Czech town Litoměřice now boasts central Europe’s deepest (geothermal) borehole (Radio Prague International)

Czech geologists and geophysicists have been hard at work drilling the deepest geothermal borehole in all of central Europe. The borehole, on the outskirts of the northern Bohemian town of Litoměřice, is a staggering 1.6 kilometres deep – so far. The ambitious project is part of an ongoing effort to wean the county off of coal, which pollutes the air and accelerates global warming.

But it’s all part of an overall aim to make practical, and eventually cost-effective use, of the boundless geothermal energy produced by Mother Earth. If all goes well, another borehole in Litoměřice will go even deeper to tap that renewable energy source.

Read More..........

USA: DOE Announces $3.25 Million American-Made Geothermal Manufacturing Prize

Department of Energy Announces New America-Made Challenge Prize (News Release)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $3.25 million for the American-Made Geothermal Manufacturing Prize. A first-of-its-kind for geothermal technology, this prize is designed to spur innovation and address manufacturing challenges fundamental to operating in harsh geothermal environments. This prize further supports the ability of the geothermal industry to reach the target of 60 Gigawatts electric of geothermal capacity by 2050 as outlined in the recently released GeoVision study.

“Additive manufacturing is such a promising technology for so many industries, and this American-Made prize will help ensure that, through innovation, the American geothermal industry will continue to lead the world,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. “By creating incentives for new approaches to device design, this prize will help unlock the full potential of geothermal power as a clean, reliable, affordable energy source for American homes and businesses.”

As part of the American-Made Challenges series, the Geothermal Prize unites the world’s best-in-class research base with the unparalleled entrepreneurial support system of the American-Made Network. Consisting of pioneering maker spaces, dozens of energy incubators, universities, and 17 DOE National Laboratories, the network is primed to create a sweeping portfolio of innovations to demonstrate the promise of additive manufacturing.

The Geothermal Prize is a series of four progressive competitions that harness the rapid advances that additive manufacturing can provide in tool design, fabrication, and functionality. It incentivizes innovators and entrepreneurs to discover new advanced manufacturing solutions. This rapid, scalable approach to prototype development not only provides cash prizes, but also engages America’s unique innovation ecosystem to help participants achieve their goals.

Eligible competitors include entrepreneurs, members of a team working within a company, university students and faculty, small business owners, researchers at DOE National Laboratories, or anyone based in the U.S. that has the desire to bring an impactful solution in this area to reality. Participants will compete for cash prizes, as well as vouchers to leverage the capabilities and expertise of the American-Made Network. The combination of funding with the mentoring, training, and other services from the American-Made Network supports long-term success for participants and growth in U.S. manufacturing.

The Geothermal Prize is led by the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office and Advanced Manufacturing Office, and is administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory on the American-Made Challenges platform.

More information, including preliminary rules and how to get involved.........

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

USA, California: Agenda Available for Workshop Exploring Geothermal and Oil & Gas Synergies

High-Temperature Well Cementing and Integrity Workshop - Agenda Now Available!

High-Temperature Well Cementing and Integrity Workshop - Agenda Now Available!
from Geothermal Resources Council

USA, California: Agenda Available for Workshop Exploring Geothermal and Oil & Gas Synergies

High-Temperature Well Cementing and Integrity Workshop - Agenda Now Available! (News Release)

Early-Bird Registration Ends March 1
“Exploring Geothermal and Oil & Gas Synergies”

Join us for a Joint Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) & Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Workshop

March 30 - April 1, 2020
San Diego, California, USA

Geothermal wells experience high temperatures at very shallow depths and are required to cement casing across the entire length of each casing string set in the well. Our joint workshop will enable both industries to share their experiences, technologies, technical procedures and best practices on this important aspect of well completion.

Sessions and Speakers:

Opening Panel Session. Moderators: Louis Capuano Jr., and Todd Zahacy. Panelists: Steve Pye, Daniel Bour and Jeff Spence.
Session 1: The Function of Cement in Well Construction. Chairs: Susan Petty and Kyriacos Agapiou. Presenters: Daniel Bour, Jack Collender and Catalin Teodoriu.
Session 2: Slurry Blends. Chairs: Hamid Najafi and Jeff Spence. Presenters: Nicolas Droger, Rouzbeh Shahsavari, and Thomas J. Pisklak.
Session 3: HT/HP Cements. Chairs: Giorgia Bettin and Axel-Pierre Bois. Presenters: Martin Herriot, Abdelfattah Lamik, Arpita Bathija and Vidar Rygg.
Session 4: Placement Procedures. Chairs: Steve Pye and Ramon Viso. Presenters: Ralph Winmill, Rafael Hernandez and Simon Iremonger.
Session 5: Other Uses of Cement/Research and Development. Chairs: Marc Brennen and Mileva Radonjic. Presenters: Achang Mercy, Simon Iremonger and Carlos A. Fernandez.
Session 6: Problems and Solutions. Chairs: Bob Pilko and Catalin Teodoriu. Presenters: Stephen J. Bauer, Jarrett Wise, Ramadan Ahmed and Temitope Ajayi.
Session 7: What is Needed for Future Cement Blends and Cement Placement Technologies. Chairs: Mileva Radonjic and Daniel Bour. Presenters: Sai Vamsi Krishna Vissa, Arash Dahi Taleghani and Yunxing Lu.
Session 8: Case Histories and Past Experiences. Chairs: Pablo Gutierrez and Carlos Fernandez. Presenters: Andreas Ruch, William (Billy) Thomas, Kristin Kutchak and Afshin Ahmady.
Session 9: Conclusion. Moderator: Susan Petty. Panelists: Bob Pilko and Catalin Teodoriu.

The complete agenda, speaker information, hotel reservations, registration and more, can be found on our new dedicated website at https://cement.mygeoenergynow.org/

Save $100 by registering before March 1, 2020.

GRC or SPE Member: $990

Non Member: $1,090

In addition, by booking and staying at the Wyndham San Diego Bay Hotel under the GRC room block, the GRC will refund your workshop registration by $50 per night for up to 3 nights booked/paid. Make your reservation........

https://cement.mygeoenergynow.org/

Agenda.........

St Vincent and the Grenadines: Confidence Shown in Improving Permeability at Geothermal Project

Permeability a continued challenge for SVG’s geothermal project (IWN)

After all testing, the well capacity will be known and the economic analysis updated, sometime around July 2020.

None of the three wells dug as part of the geothermal energy project have the level of permeability required although they have registered the temperature necessary for the production of electricity.

And Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told Parliament last Wednesday that “The conclusion in all of this as provided by the technical persons is that although the results in relation to the permeability have not gone favourably due to the very tight fractures that have limited the permeability, the tested temperatures on the wells were adequate for geothermal power,” Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told Parliament last Wednesday.

The prime minister said that the technical team will exhaust all options of well stimulation in an effort to open the fractures on the three wells and improve permeability.

He said that the technical team is optimistic that following the successful stimulation results of the well SVG 03, “they are hopeful that the others will be similar and in addition, strengthen the stimulation in 03”.

Read More...........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

Friday, November 1, 2019 - St Vincent and the Grenadines: Geothermal Project Achieves Good Results from Second Well
Friday, August 16, 2019 - St Vincent and the Grenadines: First Well at Geothermal Project Encounters Permeability Problems
Friday, July 12, 2019 - St Vincent and the Grenadines: Geothermal Project Reaches 250 Degree Celsius Resource at 2500 Meters
Tuesday, May 7, 2019 - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Drilling Starts at 10 MW Geothermal Power Plant Site

Switzerland: Better Coordination is Needed to Promote Geothermal Energy - Paper

Entanglement of Top-Down and Bottom-Up: Sociotechnical Innovation Pathways of Geothermal Energy in Switzerland (ETH Zurich)

By looking at deep geothermal energy in Switzerland, this article illustrates
how innovation pathways in federal countries take entangled forms between top-down and bottom-up.

The Swiss federal government presents deep geothermal energy as an important technology to decarbonize electricity production. Setbacks in early projects have slowed these efforts. Despite strong policy incentives from the federal government, no electricity is being produced from geothermal projects in Switzerland in 2019.

Based on four case studies, we analyze how some cantons and cities have taken different pathways: Rather than implementing federal objectives, they favor heat
production instead of electricity generation. The relative success of these initiatives led federal authorities to modify their approach to promoting geothermal energy.

This study shows that federal mechanisms and instruments alone are not enough to make energy infrastructures acceptable locally. To learn from bottom-up experiences and adapt federal policies to local reality, better coordination between the federal and subnational levels is needed.

Read More..........

Ejderyan O, Ruef F and Stauffacher M (2019) Entanglement of Top-Down and Bottom-Up: Sociotechnical Innovation Pathways of Geothermal Energy in Switzerland. The Journal of Environment & Development: 107049651988600. Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1070496519886008.

Canada: Fort Nelson Geothermal Power Project Gets Green Light

Geothermal clean-energy project moves forward in Fort Nelson (My Prince George Now)

The Fort Nelson First Nation has received a permit from the Province that will allow them to move forward with a planned geothermal project.

When finished, the project will provide a reliable source of clean and renewable energy to those in the area, which is currently not attached to BC’s electrical grid and heavily relies on fossil fuels from Alberta.

The permit grants geothermal resource rights to Deh Tai GP Inc., a development company of the Fort Nelson First Nation.

Awarded rights would be for nearly 6,800 hectares of land in the Clarke Lake gas field, located in the northeast corner of the province.

Unlike wind, solar, and river projects, which are intermittent, geothermal is an extremely stable and firm source of electricity.

Indonesia: PT PLN (Persero) to Issue Renewable Energy Certificates to Boost Production

PLN to issue tradable renewable energy certificates to promote clean energy (Jakarta Post)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

State-owned electricity firm PLN will issue renewable energy certificates (REC) to support the government’s program to promote the use of clean energy in the country in cooperation with Clean Energy Investment Accelerator (CEIA) Indonesia.

PLN deputy president director Darmawan Prasodjo said the certificate issuance was part of the company’s efforts to push the country’s clean energy agenda by making more use of renewable sources, such as wind, sun, geothermal power and hydropower.

He said PLN currently had renewable energy plants with a combined capacity of 7,681 megawatts and planned to increase that to more than 15,000 MW by 2028. “We need to balance [economic] growth with environmental sustainability; the prosperity of this generation must be passed on to future generations,” Darmawan told reporters.

Read More..........

USA, California: Policymakers Beginning to See the Potentially Extraordinary, but so far Unrecognized Value of its Geothermal Resources

Geothermal's surprise: Cheap renewables could keep states from achieving climate goals (Utility Dive)

Planners must think beyond the levelized cost for renewables to the value that each resource brings to the grid.

Surprisingly, the plunging cost of some renewables could keep states from reaching ambitious climate goals if planners fail to recognize the higher value in some higher cost renewables.

States like New York, Massachusetts and California with ambitious 2030 renewables and 2045 emissions reduction mandates are starting to find a tension between cost and value. Offshore wind's reliability and emissions reduction values have raised its profile, though it remains more expensive than onshore wind. Now California policymakers are beginning to see the potentially extraordinary, but so far unrecognized value of its geothermal resources.

Read More..........

Finance: Surge in Corporations Directly Buying Renewable Energy

Corporate Clean Energy Buying Leapt 44% in 2019, Sets New Record (BNEF)

Corporations bought a record amount of clean energy through power purchase agreements, or PPAs, in 2019, up more than 40% from the previous year’s record. The majority of this purchasing occurred in the United States, but also underpinning the strong uptrend is a surge in corporate sustainability commitments around the world.

BloombergNEF (BNEF) finds in its 1H 2020 Corporate Energy Market Outlook, published today, that some 19.5GW of clean energy contracts were signed by more than 100 corporations in 23 different countries in 2019. This was up from 13.6GW in 2018, and more than triple the activity seen in 2017.

Switzerland: Geothermal Heat to Help Expand District Heating Network in Davos

La géothermie à moyenne profondeur à Davos – un schéma pour l’espace alpin ? - Medium-depth geothermal energy in Davos - a blueprint for the Alps? (Geothermie Suisse)

La commune de Davos mise sur l’énergie indigène et renouvelable ainsi que sur l’efficacité énergétique. Une part importante de la stratégie politique en matière d’énergie est l’utilisation accrue de la géothermie. Dans ce but, Davos, en sa qualité de Cité de l’énergie, a déjà lancé un projet pilote voilà une dizaine d’années. Les enseignements tirés lors de cette décennie sont désormais disponibles sous forme de rapport.

(From Google Translate) The municipality of Davos relies on indigenous and renewable energy as well as energy efficiency. An important part of the political energy strategy is the increased use of geothermal energy. To this end, Davos, as the City of Energy, already launched a pilot project some ten years ago.The lessons learned during this decade are now available in the form of a report.

Lire la suite......... Read More.........

USA, California: Geothermal Resources Council Southern California Section Meeting

Meeting of the SoCal Section of the Geothermal Resources Council

A celebration of Life for Brian Berard.

31 January at 3 pm at the American Legion in Brawley located at 509 G St, Brawley, CA 92227

Brian was a proud Cajun and always looking for a good excuse to have a crawfish boil. In his honor, there will be a crawfish and shrimp boil and an open microphone for everyone to share memories.

Thank you for the kind support from Baker Hughes for providing the crawfish and shrimp, and to Geo Drilling Fluid, San Joaquin Bit, CGE Services Geo Resource Management and more to come. Any remaining funds will be given to Brian’s family.

Everyone is welcome. Please feel free to share this invite with Brian’s friends and colleagues.

The Man:

Brian Berard spent three decades working in geothermal, beginning in Ridgecrest, CA, during the drilling and development of the Coso geothermal project. He spent most of his career with California Energy, now CalEnergy, and retired as the Geothermal Resource Manager in June 2017.

He contributed much to the Coso and Salton Sea fields, and explored Nevada’s geothermal resources for a couple years.

Brian was originally from Louisiana and trained as a geologist and geophysicist. Prior to moving to California, he served in the Navy and worked in the oil and gas industry of Louisiana and Texas.

All are welcome at SoCal GRC Section meetings free of charge, thanks to our generous meeting sponsors. Please RSVP to mary@geothermalresourcegroup.com.

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