March 2020

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Volume 49, No. 1 of the internationally-renowned geothermal energy magazine is now available - Usually only available as a benefit for GRC Members only it can be downloaded for free for a short time only!

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 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, Mike Shook and John Pritchett
Publications, Websites, Videos & Maps
Calendar of Events

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

United Kingdom: Testing About to Begin at United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project

Update from United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project (UDDGP)

We have now finished constructing a water storage pond that will allow us to carry out further tests on our deep well UD-1. We need this facility to store water that we produce from the well so that it can be allowed to cool and analysed before either being re-injected or disposed of offsite.

We are in the process now of mobilising a ‘workover’ drilling rig to the site in late March to remove a temporary downhole packer from UD-1, carry out some more downhole ‘logging’ measurements, attempt to collect sidewall cores and carry out the production test.

The workover rig is much smaller than the one we used for drilling the wells; about half the mast height and less equipment on the ground, but it will still be worth seeing and we will hold a public drop-in session while it is here.

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

Netherlands: Geothermal Heat Lab Opens in Rijswijk

Rijswijk Centre for Sustainable Geo-energy geopend - Rijswijk Center for Sustainable Geo-energy opened (News Release)

Innovatielab RCSG biedt bedrijfsleven mogelijkheden onderzoek aardwarmte - Innovation lab RCSG offers business opportunities to research geothermal heat

Op donderdag 5 maart 2020 is het ‘Rijswijk Centre for Sustainable Geo-energy’ (RCSG) geopend. Het RCSG is een uniek fieldlab waar aardwarmteprojecten op ware schaal getest kunnen worden. Aardwarmte kan een belangrijke rol spelen in de energietransitie; in 2050 kunnen we met aardwarmte in een kwart van de warmtebehoefte in Nederland voorzien. Om die ontwikkeling te versnellen, hebben het Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat, Energie Beheer Nederland, Provincie Zuid-Holland, Gemeente Rijswijk en TNO het RCSG opgericht.

(From Google Translate) The 'Rijswijk Center for Sustainable Geo-energy ' (RCSG) was opened on Thursday 5 March 2020 . The RCSG is a unique field lab where geothermal heat projects can be tested on a real scale. Geothermal heat can play an important role in the energy transition; in 2050, geothermal energy will provide a quarter of the heat demand in the Netherlands. To speed up this development, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, Energy Management of the Netherlands, Province of South Holland, Municipality of Rijswijk and TNO have set up the RCSG.

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

Turkey: GMK Enerji Announces New Geothermal Power Plant Project

New Geothermal Power Project Announced in Denizli Province (GMK Enerji)

GMK Enerji of İzmir, Turkey has announced that a new geothermal power plant will be installed at Emirler Enerji Elektrik Üretim Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.'s operating license in the Sarayköy district of Denizli province.

An agreement for power plant design, mechanical and electrical balance of plant (BOP) projects, automation projects and Owner's Engineering services contract has been signed between Emirler Energy and GMK Energy for Emirler GEPP.

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

Nicaragua: Production at San Jacinto Geothermal Power Plant Bounces Back after Well Expansion

Polaris Infrastructure Announces 2019 Year End Results (News Release)

(Courtesy Polaris Infrastructure)

Polaris Infrastructure Inc., a Toronto-based company engaged in the operation, acquisition and development of renewable energy projects in Latin America, is pleased to report its audited financial and operating results for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Highlights include delivering a consolidated 570,934 MWhrs (net) from the geothermal facility in Nicaragua (the "San Jacinto facility") and hydroelectric facilities in Peru, compared with a consolidated 548,510 MWhrs (net) in 2018.

During the three months period ended December 31, 2019, the San Jacinto facility produced 59.9 MW average (net), compared to 64.9 MW average (net) in the same quarter of 2018 and compared to 60.2 MW average (net) for the third quarter of 2019. The decrease in San Jacinto's net power generation was mainly the result of the fact that well SJ 12-5 had only been online since April 2018 and geothermal fields can take between 12 to 18 months to stabilize after new large wells are brought into production.

During the first half of 2019, San Jacinto production benefited from lower than expected downtime and additional steam flows resulting from new wells connected in the first half of 2018; however, over the second half of the year production at the plant decreased due to expected natural decline coupled with cyclical behavior in certain wells, compared to 2018. We are noticing a stabilization in the field and production in the first quarter to date has marginally increased from the third and fourth quarters of 2019.

USA, California: High-Temperature Well Cementing and Integrity Workshop - Discount on Hotel Rooms Ends March 15

High-Temperature Well Cementing and Integrity Workshop (News Release)

March 30 - April 1
Wyndham San Diego Bayside, San Diego, California, USA

The reserved room block at the discounted rate is now available until March 15 - Make your reservation now!

Given the ongoing news coverage around the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and questions around US travel and events, we want to touch base on the upcoming GRC/SPE High-Temperature Cementing Workshop.

At this time, we are not planning to cancel or reschedule the Workshop.

In addition to monitoring guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), we have checked in with the broader convention and event industry, and it appears most events around our Workshop time-frame are still moving forward as planned. We have also been informed of the proactive measures of heightened cleanliness and sanitation steps by our host facility, The Wyndham Bayside Hotel, San Diego, California. All of this information has led us to our current position: our Workshop is still on as planned.

Of course, we understand everyone’s circumstances are different, so please use your best judgment to determine if you should attend the Workshop. If anyone can not come due to the virus or travel restrictions they should let us know asap.

We will continue to monitor the situation regarding COVID-19 closely and send regular updates as appropriate. If you have questions around workshop attendance, please let us know. If you would like to learn more about the spread of the virus and protective measures, International SOS provides some excellent resources.

USA, Texas: More Information about the New Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization

University of Texas Initiative Goes Deeper on Geothermal (National Driller)

Jamie C. Beard, Esq.,
Executive Director, GEO

Imagine a “green” energy future. Now imagine an army of drillers from the oil and gas industry working hard to make that future a reality.

That’s the concept driving the new Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization (GEO) in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. GEO started last year with a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. It aims to be an “integrator” for deep, high-pressure geothermal systems in Texas and beyond. The group seeks to foster the development and commercialization of technologies that effectively and inexpensively drill to depths up to 30,000 feet and in temperatures over 350 degrees. Meeting that goal means the feasibility of powering grids anywhere in the world through geothermal energy, not just in hot spots where requisite temperatures sit relatively close to the surface.

To find out more, we spoke with Jamie Beard, executive director of GEO, and Eric van Oort, a professor in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and a co-investigator for the group.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 - USA, Texas: New Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization Launched at University of Texas at Austin to Help Advance Geothermal Energy Industry
Wednesday, December 4, 2019 - USA, Texas: Oil Country Academics Call for Development of Geothermal Energy
Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - USA, Texas: Talk on Geothermal Energy at South bySouthwest Conference & Festival

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Kenya: Menengai Geothermal Steam Used for Drying Cereals

Geothermal firm instals Africa’s first steam cereals dryer (The Star)

Geothermal Development Company (GDC) has installed the first facility in Africa that uses steam to dry cereals.

The semi-commercial dryer at the Menengai Geothermal project has the capacity to dry 20 tonnes of cereals per day. It was funded by the Icelandic International Development Agency.

GDC managing director Johnson ole Nchoe said the corporation will pilot the viability of the drier and then scale it up for commercialisation. Nchoe invited the private sector to consider venturing into direct uses of geothermal energy, arguing it helps to cut costs of energy and reduces emissions.

Read More.........

Poland, Iceland: Presidents Agree to Cooperate on Geothermal Energy

Poland, Iceland to work together on geothermal energy: president (Polskie Radio)

Poland's Andrzej Duda and Iceland's
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson during a joint
news conference in Warsaw on Tuesday.
Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak

Poland and Iceland are ready to explore opportunities to work together in tapping into geothermal energy, the Polish president has said.

Andrzej Duda was speaking after talks with his visiting Icelandic counterpart Guðni Jóhannesson in Warsaw on Tuesday.

Duda told reporters that Poland had “huge deposits of geothermal energy,” while Iceland was a European leader in harnessing such energy.

"There are major prospects for cooperation in this area," Duda declared.

He also said that geothermal energy was an important source of potential supplies for Poland as the country sought to modify its energy mix in favour of renewables in line with the European Union’s climate protection policy.

Read More.........

Norway: Opportunity for Researcher in Simulation of Governing Processes in Superheated and Supercritical Geothermal Systems

Employment - PhD position in applied and computational mathematics – porous media (University of Bergen)

There is a vacancy for a PhD position in applied and computational mathematics at the Department of Mathematics. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4th year with compulsory other work (e.g. teaching duties at the Department).

The position is part of the project ‘Simulation of governing processes in superheated and supercritical geothermal systems: mathematical models, numerical methods and field data. (SiGS)’, financed by the Research Council of Norway and Equinor.

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

Education: Latest Issue of International Journal of Geothermal Research and its Applications

Geothermics - Volume 85 , May 2020

Under the auspices of the Geothermal Resources Council, The International Geothermal Association and the CNR-Instituto di Geoscienze e Georisose

Editorial Board
Smectite quantification in hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks by Léa Lévy, Thráinn Fridriksson, Nathaniel Findling, Bruno Lanson, ... Benoit Gibert
A combined thermo-mechanical drilling technology for deep geothermal and hard rock reservoirs by Edoardo Rossi, Shahin Jamali, Volker Wittig, Martin O. Saar, Philipp Rudolf von Rohr
Analysis of gravity data to delineate structural features controlling the Eburru geothermal system in Kenya by
Modelling acid stimulation in the enhanced geothermal system of Soultz-sous-Forêts (Alsace, France) by Yann Lucas, Viet V. Ngo, Alain Clément, Bertrand Fritz, Gerhard Schäfer

Global: 2020 GRC Geothermal Scholarship Awards Announced

Geothermal Resources Council Announces Scholarships (News Release)

Total of $14,000 in educational awards to be given to eight students in the global geothermal energy community

Some of last year's winners.

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) is pleased to announce the availability of the 2020 GRC Scholarship Awards.

To qualify for any of these awards a student must be a GRC member (student memberships are only $20 per year). Selection of recipients will be based upon a variety of factors, including the individual’s academic record, student activities, geothermal industry experience, and career goals.

The following awards are available:

Five (5) Marcelo Lippmann Graduate Scholarship Awards of $2500 – to be eligible for one of these awards, the candidate must be enrolled in a graduate-level program at an accredited academic institution at the time of the award (Fall 2020). If selected, each recipient is required to submit a paper on his/her research (or research progress) to be published in the GRC Transactions and deliver results at the meeting as either a poster or oral presentation. If the recipient presents in the year of the award then the full $2500 is awarded at that time; if the recipient defers to present/publish the following year then $750 is withheld until the following year when the recipient presents.
Three (3) GRC Undergraduate Scholarship Awards of $500 – to be eligible for one of these awards, the candidate must be a third or fourth year undergraduate at an accredited academic institution at the time of the award (Fall 2020).

Applications must be received by May 15, 2020 to be considered.
For application instructions and other details see the announcement on the GRC website at: https://geothermal.org/students.html#scholarships

Please direct questions regarding the scholarship awards to: Brian Schmidt, bschmidt@geothermal.org or 530-758-2360, ext. 104

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

USA, California: High-Temperature Well Cementing and Integrity Workshop Still On as Planned

High-Temperature Well Cementing and Integrity Workshop (News Release)

March 30 - April 1
Wyndham San Diego Bayside, San Diego, California, USA

Still on as planned.

Global: Opportunity for Students to Serve the Geothermal Community

GRC Seeking Students for 2020 Student Committee (News Release)

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) is looking for dedicated students to represent their peers on a student committee that will have a direct say in association matters. The Student Committee is a legitimate committee of the GRC Board of Directors and provides a voice for the student members of the GRC.

From this committee, one student will be selected to act as student representative to the Board of Directors. This representative will attend all board meetings with travel expenses paid by the GRC.

The student committee consists of current students worldwide that are interested in renewable energy, particularly in the geothermal industry. Any student of any curriculum is invited to join; it is not only for science based majors.

Advantages of being on the GRC Student Committee:

Direct interaction with leaders of the geothermal industry.
A platform to develop or present ideas to the GRC and the geothermal industry.
Assist in advancing the industry for future development.

Expectations for members of the GRC Student Committee:

Average time dedication is 5 hrs per month.
Attend monthly conference calls with the student committee.
Contribute to discussions and projects.
Participate in sub-committee duties and responsibilities:

Annual Meeting Sub-committee – Help organize, set up, staff, and develop student events at the GRC Annual Meeting held every fall.
Article Sub-committee – Write geothermal articles from a student perspective to be published in the bi-monthly GRC Bulletin.
Fund Raising Sub-committee – Develop ways to fund raise for future student activities and events.
Chapters / Bylaws Sub-committee – Maintain standard practices for students and student chapters. Assist student chapters in various activities from formation to fundraising and beyond.

If you are interested please email Anh Lay at alay@geothermal.org with your contact information and a copy of your current student ID with a valid date or class schedule. You must be a student member of the GRC (cost of membership is $20). The first 2020 Student Committee conference call will be in April.

Global: Geothermal Photo Contest

The Geothermal Resources Council 2020 Photo Contest (News Release)

Winners will be announced at the GRC Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada, USA.

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) is pleased to announce this year’s Geothermal Photo Contest. The contest serves to showcase the talent of the geothermal community as well as the beauty and intrigue found in every aspect of the geothermal industry.

The winners will be announced and prominently displayed at the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo being held in Reno, Nevada, USA from October 18-21.

Geothermal provides our communities long-term jobs and economic benefits while supplying low-cost, low-impact energy with innovative technologies. For the 2020 photo contest, GRC is soliciting submissions in 3 categories that help raise awareness of the benefits of geothermal energy:

Jobs: Providing long-term, wage earning jobs
Low Impact: Providing low geographic impact, water use & emissions
Innovation: Showcasing research & development of new technologies

Awards will be presented to the winners at the GRC Annual Meeting. Winners of each category will receive $100. The award checks will be drawn from a U.S. bank.

More information on the GRC Geothermal Photo Contest, including a Submission Form, can be found on the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo website.

The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2020.

United Kingdom: Government Plans Changes to the Renewable Energy Contracts for Difference (CfD) Scheme

UK proposes CfD structure changes, reintroduces onshore wind and solar (Renewables Now)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The UK government on Monday unveiled certain changes it plans to make to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, including reopening the process to established technologies such as onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV).

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) released a consultation that invites views on the structure of the next allocation round, which is expected to open in 2021. Some of the amendments include: making changes to the competition structure design; extending the delivery deadline until March 31, 2030; classifying floating offshore wind as a separate technology with a distinct administrative strike price; and excluding new coal-to-biomass conversions from future rounds of the scheme.

The current structure design of the scheme involves grouping the competing technologies in two pots, categorising them as “established” and “less-established.” Pot 1 includes: onshore wind and solar PV above 5 MW; energy-from-waste projects with combined heat and power (CHP); hydro above 5 MW but below 50 MW; coal-to-biomass conversions; landfill gas and sewage gas. Pot 2, in turn, is dedicated to offshore wind; remote island wind above 5 MW; wave; tidal stream; advanced conversion technologies (ACT); anaerobic digestion (AD) above 5 MW; as well as dedicated biomass with CHP and geothermal.

One proposal is to keep this structure, only excluding coal-to-biomass conversions from Pot 1 and adding floating offshore wind in Pot 2. However, there is also an alternative option that involves the creation of a third pot to include only offshore wind.

In this case, Pot 1 will include: onshore wind and solar PV above 5 MW; energy from waste with CHP; hydro between 5 MW and 50 MW; landfill gas and sewage gas. Pot 2 will concern less established technologies such as: ACT; AD above 5 MW; dedicated biomass with CHP; floating offshore wind; geothermal; remote island wind above 5 MW; tidal stream; and wave. As already mentioned, the third plot will be dedicated to offshore wind.

Sweden: Large Geothermal District Heating Network Planned for Malmö

E.ON to build deep geothermal power plants to heat Swedish homes (ReCharge)

E.ON plans to drill five to seven kilometres into the ground at Malmö to tap into maximum temperatures of 160 degrees Celsius to be fed directly into the district heating network of Sweden’s third-largest city.

The German utility is currently investigating the geological conditions through test boreholes. If all goes according to plan, the plant will supply the renewable heat to district heating customers from 2022.

E.ON hopes to have built five geothermal power plants in Malmö by 2028, each with an installed capacity of 50MWth (thermal megawatt).

“E.ON’s goal is to supply Swedish customers with 100% renewable and recovered energy. With deep geothermal energy, we’re tapping into a new energy source that can ensure renewable production in the long term,” E.ON Sweden chief executive Marc Hoffmann said.

“Deep geothermal energy is resource-efficient, emission free, noise-free and space saving, making it one of the best solutions for urban energy systems of the future.”

E.ON claims its pilot project is among Europe’s first geothermal power plants to extract geothermal energy from depths of several kilometres on an industrial scale.

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

USA, Washington DC: Geothermal Resources Council Joins Support for the American Energy Innovation Act.

To The Members of The United States Senate

[Latest Action: Senate - 03/02/2020 Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 84 - 3.]

We are writing to urge you to support S. 2657 the American Energy Innovation Act.

Our diverse organizations recognize and agree that climate change is an important national priority that demands Congressional attention. While we may not agree on everything, we believe there is much common ground upon which all sides of the debate can come together to begin to address climate change, promote American technological leadership, and foster continued economic growth. In particular, there is a growing consensus that the development and
commercialization of new technologies are important factor s that will determine how quickly and at what cost greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced.

The American Energy Innovation Act will help to do just that. It is the culmination of extensive efforts by a bipartisan group of senators, led by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to develop practical legislative solutions that will accelerate these breakthroughs and enable adoption of lower emitting and more efficient technologies. More will need to be done to meet the climate challenge, but thanks to their leadership and commitment, Congress now has its best opportunity in more than a decade to enact significant energy legislation.

Accordingly, we strongly urge you to support this bill and we stand ready to work with you to ensure ultimate enactment of climate and energy innovation legislation in 2020.

Sincerely,

Geothermal Resource Council, and the following companies:

USA, Nevada: Good Video Explaining Geothermal Energy near City of Reno

Video - Steamboat geothermal facility near Reno (BLM Nevada on Twitter)

#MineralMonday clip from @UNRScience talking all things #geothermal in Nevada. Check it out! This field trip is at the Steamboat geothermal facility that is a permitted lease managed by @blmnv. #energy #renewable #engineers #SilverState pic.twitter.com/T2BcGSnL98
— Bureau of Land Management- Nevada (@blmnv) March 2, 2020

There will be a field trip to the Steamboat geothermal facility from the 2020 GRC Annual Meeting & Expo, October 18-21 at the Peppermill Resort Spa, Reno, Nevada.

USA, Washington DC: "Reforms included in current legislation – could yield a “26-fold” increase in the amount of geothermal energy"

Opinion: A Look at How Geothermal Fits in the Renewable Energy Puzzle (AAF)

By Dan Goldbeck, a Senior Research Analyst for Regulatory Policy at the American Action Forum.

Despite relatively minimal use currently, geothermal energy has some important benefits: As a natural, renewable energy source it is cleaner than fossil fuel plants while also being more reliable than other renewables such as wind and solar.

Geothermal plants face a unique set of challenges, however: They are geographically limited and bring higher per-unit capital costs than the usual baseload plants, and the regulatory hurdles under the current permit process can take up to a decade to complete.

Research suggests that a greater commitment to researching more advanced technologies in concert with regulatory consolidation – reforms included in current legislation – could yield a “26-fold” increase in the amount of geothermal energy produced in coming decades.

"Geothermal will never be the panacea for our energy and environmental concerns—but neither will any other energy source for that matter. In an implicit acknowledgment of this reality, an announcement last week from the AGILE Act’s primary sponsors, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), now sets up the bill to be a vehicle for the AEIA, which includes areas such as nuclear energy, battery storage, and carbon capture. Considering, however, that geothermal is relatively cleaner than such baseload sources as coal and gas and relatively more reliable than more ubiquitous “clean” sources such as wind and solar, it has the potential to become a more substantial piece of the nation’s energy portfolio. Additional research efforts and policy reforms, including those in current legislation, can help unlock that potential."

Read more.........

USA, Washington DC: Budget Estimate for Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership Act

S. 2657, AGILE Act of 2019 - Cost Estimate (Congressional Budget Office)

The bill would:

Reauthorize and amend geothermal energy research and development (R&D) programs administered by the Department of Energy
Amend various Bureau of Land Management (BLM) activities related to geothermal energy
Require the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to update its assessment of geothermal resources
Modify the definition of renewable energy pertaining to certain energy requirements for federal buildings

Estimated budgetary effects would primarily stem from:

Authorizing appropriations for geothermal energy R&D programs through fiscal year 2024
Requiring BLM and the USGS to undertake new activities related to geothermal energy

Data and Supplemental Information

Legislative Information: Available From Congress.gov

St Vincent and the Grenadines: ADFD Video of Geothermal Power Project

The La Soufriere Geothermal project - Saint Vincent (Abu Dhabi Fund for Development - ADFD)

(Video 1:00 Minute)

The La Soufriere Geothermal project once operational will generate 60% of the country’s electricity needs and will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by 17 million liters per year, significantly improving lives and protecting the unique environment of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 - St Vincent and the Grenadines: Confidence Shown in Improving Permeability at Geothermal Project
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

Science & Technology: Geothermal Power Plant Supports Algae Production Facility

Algaennovation (Mannvit)

Algaennovation micro-algae in Iceland is producing feed for small fish. Mannvit is the engineering firm that has worked with Algaennovation on installing their state-of-the-art facility in Iceland.

Algaennovation is a company that has been developing new technologies for growing micro algae. Mannvit worked on the engineering for the construction of the company's facilities located in Geothermal Park ON at the Hellisheidi geothermal industrial park.

Mannvit is responsible for all engineering design, control systems engineering, procurement and project management for the production facility. The production will initially be sold as feed for fish farming, but production could be developed for human consumption. The project is a very positive step towards further utilization of the energy used by ON at the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant, where Algaennovation buys hot and cold water, electricity and carbon dioxide for the production. The production is an important step towards a waste to value cycle and sustainability in Iceland.

The production process has a negative carbon footprint, meaning it uses CO2 for the algae growth and as a result, more CO2 goes into the production of the biomass than it releases into the atmosphere.

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

Indonesia: New Renewable Energy Legislation Will Not Include Geothermal - For Now

New regulation on pricing of renewable energy awaits President’s approval (The Jakarta Post)

President Joko “Jokowi’ Widodo
(Wikipedia Commons)

President Joko “Jokowi’ Widodo is expected to soon sign the long-awaited government regulation on renewable energy, which will, among other things, fix the formula of the feed-in tariff in a bid to improve the investment climate in the renewable energy sector, a senior energy official has said,

“The draft was sent last week, “he was quoted as saying by bisnis.com. He was reluctant to elaborate on the content of the proposed regulation, but said it would regulate the feed-in tariff of electricity produced from renewable energy sources sold to state-owned electricity company PLN, except that of geothermal.

“The pricing policy for geothermal energy will be regulated under a different regulation,” he said, adding that the regulation on geothermal and other renewable energy would be issued to improve the investment climate in the renewable energy sector so that there would more investors interested in producing clean energy in the country.

Canada: Study Concludes Clarke Lake Gas Field Could Generate Tens of Megawatts of Geothermal Electrical Power

Estimating parasitic loads related to brine production from a hot sedimentary aquifer geothermal project: A case study from the Clarke Lake gas field, British Columbia (Science Direct)

Geothermal power development requires significant to decreasing parasitic loads. Developers often ignore the pumping power necessary to circulate geothermal fluids, leading to an erroneous calculations of power potential.

We present a workflow for calculating the pumping power for wells in a geothermal field and apply it to the Clarke Lake Gas field in the northeast British Columbia as a case study.

The combination of a thick, highly porous formation and subsurface water temperatures in excess of 110 °C make this field one of the most promising areas for geothermal development in Western Canada. The pumping parasitic loads for the field, calculated from the stabilized reservoir pressure and hydrogeological properties listed for the wells, varies significantly with reservoir temperature and depth from the ground surface to the water column. The parasitic loads related to production pumping requirements range from 2% to 60% with a mean of 21% and a standard deviation of 14%. We then revised previous gross power potential estimates for the Clarke Lake gas field base on our calculated parasitic loads.

Our results suggest that, despite significant parasitic loads, the Clarke Lake gas field could still net tens of megawatts of electrical power over a multi-decade production period.

Denmark: Three Geothermal District Heating Networks Currently Operating

Increased focus on geothermal energy (Bruun & Hjejle)

Courtesy CIA.gov)

Geothermal energy has long been used for district heating in Denmark, but lately political and industry interest therein has been on the rise. This has resulted in an increase in applications to explore for and produce geothermal energy. Since 2017, five new exploration licences have been granted and five additional licences are currently being assessed by the Danish Energy Agency (DEA).

Geothermal energy in Denmark can be used only for district heating and not to produce electricity, due to the low temperature of the saline water reservoirs in the Danish subsoil. Only three geothermal plants are in operation, but this may soon change. Geothermal energy will help to fulfil the political goal of a carbon-neutral Denmark by 2050.

At present, three geothermal plants are in operation, six additional licences for exploration and production of geothermal energy have been granted and applications for five additional areas are being assessed by the DEA. The current geothermal projects that have attracted the most interest are those in Aalborg and Aarhus.

Science & Technology: Machine Learning Can Help Map Geothermal Resources

Machine learning picks out hidden vibrations from earthquake data (Phys.org)

Credit: Christine Daniloff, MIT

The new method could allow researchers to artificially synthesize the low-frequency waves that are hidden in seismic data, which can then be used to more accurately map the Earth's internal structures.

"The ultimate dream is to be able to map the whole subsurface, and be able to say, for instance, 'this is exactly what it looks like underneath Iceland, so now you know where to explore for geothermal sources,'" says co-author Laurent Demanet, professor of applied mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "Now we've shown that deep learning offers a solution to be able to fill in these missing frequencies."

As they improve the neural network's predictions, the team hopes to be able to use the method to extrapolate low-frequency signals from actual seismic data, which can then be plugged into seismic models to more accurately map the geological structures below the Earth's surface. The low frequencies, in particular, are a key ingredient for solving the big puzzle of finding the correct physical model.

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

Austria: Cities Band Together to Develop Geothermal District Heating network

Region Fürstenfeld plant Geothermie-Projekte - Fürstenfeld region plans geothermal projects (Steiermark.orf.at)

Zehn Gemeinden haben sich zur Ökoenergieregion Fürstenfeld zusammengeschlossen und wollen größere Geothermie-Projekte umsetzen, etwa bei einem geplanten Gewerbepark oder auch beim Fernwärmenetz Fürstenfeld.

(From Google Translate) Ten municipalities have joined together to form the Fürstenfeld eco-energy region and want to implement larger geothermal projects, for example with a planned business park or the Fürstenfeld district heating network.

Weiterlesen........ Read More........

Philippines: EDC Official Lists Barriers to Geothermal Development

‘Lack of incentives crimps investments in geothermal’ (Business Mirror)

Despite the country’s huge potential for producing renewable energy, the lack of incentives and limited access to land with sources of geothermal energy are holding back investors from venturing into geothermal, an official of the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) said.

Interviewed on Friday at the sidelines of the Third Philippine Environment Summit held in Cagayan de Oro City, Allan V. Barcena, corporate social responsibility head said the company has no plan to expand or establish new concession areas. The company, Barcena said, is focused on putting up binary plants inside existing concessions.

Unlike solar and wind power, Barcena said geothermal energy is not getting any incentive from the government, as a come-on for investors.

“Given that wind, solar and hydro has an incentive, geothermal is not getting any incentive. We were told that geothermal is not a new technology but we are arguing that geothermal technology is evolving, like the reinjection technology,” he said.

Barcena said accessing areas with geothermal potential is difficult because most these sites are in protected areas. The National Integrated Protected Areas System Act strictly prohibits “environmentally critical” projects within strict protection zones in PAs.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Global: Calendar of Geothermal Energy Events

Geothermal Energy Calendar from the Geothermal Resources Council

GeoTHERM - Expo & Congress - POSTPONED

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/

MEET Geothermal Spring School 2020 (MEET Project)
16-20 March, CY Cergy Paris University, Cergy, France
https://www.meet-h2020.com/meet-geothermal-spring-school-2020/

Geothermal Production Technology (IGA Academy)
18-19 March, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
https://www.geothermal-energy.org/event/geothermal-production-technology/

3rd IGC Invest Geothermal Finance & Investment Forum
25-26 March, Frankfurt, Germany
https://www.investgeothermal.com/

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

East Africa Conference on Occupational Safety and Health (EACOSH)

Investing in Safety for a Sustainable Geothermal Industry

26 March, Naivasha, Kenya
https://www.eacosh.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/

Geothermal Hackathon 2020 (Agile)Subsurface machine learning
2-3 May, IÐNÓ, Vonarstræti 3, Reykjavík, Iceland
https://events.agilescientific.com/event/geothermal-2020

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

Geo-Energy for Petroleum Engineers (IGA Academy)
19-20 May, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
https://www.geothermal-energy.org/event/geo-energy-for-petroleum-engineers/

14th International Conference on Energy Sustainability (ASME)

7-11 June, Denver, Colorado, USA
https://event.asme.org/ES

82nd EAGE Conference and Exhibition

8-11 June, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
https://eage.eventsair.com/eageannual2020/

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/

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) - International Conference and Exhibition

Theme 7: Energy Transition - Subtheme: Geothermal

28 September - 1 October, Madrid, Spain
https://madrid2020.iceevent.org/

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/

Der Geothermiekongress (DGK)

10-12 November, Essen, Germany
https://www.der-geothermiekongress.de/kongress-2020/der-geothermiekongress.html

1st Geoscience & Engineering in Energy Transition Conference (GET2020)

16-18 November, Strasbourg, France
https://eage.eventsair.com/get2020/

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/

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