Nicaragua: IDB Funds to Help Development of Geothermal Energy Projects

Nicaragua’s geothermal plans set to receive boost (BN Americas)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

Multilateral technical cooperation is in the pipeline to strengthen Nicaragua’s energy sector, such as the potential buildout of the nation's geothermal park.

Information from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) shows that the regional lender has been tapped by the Central American country’s government for financial support to shore up the institutional capacity of the energy ministry and state power transmission company Enatrel.

The funds would help with geothermal pre-investment studies – particularly for the Cosigüina project – and environmental management of commercial wells. Other geothermal projects include Mombacho and Casita-San Cristóbal.

Nicaragua’s current geothermal production comes from Momotombo Power (77.5MW) and Polaris Energy Nicaragua (PEN) (77MW).

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Poland: Podhale Geothermal District Heating Network to Expand

Geotermia na Podhalu włącza drugi bieg - Geothermal energy in Podhale engages the second gear (Biznes.Interia.pl)

120 odbiorców ciepła geotermalnego zyskało podłączenie do podhalańskiej sieci w ostatnim roku, a kolejnych 150 obiektów będzie przyłączonych do niej w najbliższym czasie - zapowiedział podczas piątkowej konferencji prasowej prezes Geotermii Podhalańskiej Wojciech Ignacok.

(From Google Translate) 120 recipients of geothermal heat have been connected to the Podhale network in the last year, and another 150 facilities will be connected to it in the near future - President of Geotermia Podhalańska Wojciech Ignacok announced during a press conference on Friday.

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Geothermal Event! Fieldtrip to Imperial Valley Geology and Power Plants

Fieldtrip to Salton Sea Geothermal Field from GRC Annual Meeting & Expo

• Wednesday - Thursday, September 18-19 (Two Days)
• Cost: $250 - Limited to 50 participants - sign up now!
• Led by: Billy Thomas, Mike Krahmer and Sam Abraham.

Mud volcanoes with the Hudson Ranch Geothermal
Power Plant in the background. GRC Fieldtrip 2013.

This two-day fieldtrip will visit the Imperial Valley, home to the world-renowned Salton Sea geothermal field.  The tour begins with a stop at Painted Canyon in the Mecca Hills to observe the San Andreas Fault up-close where discussion of local structures will explain the unique geologic setting of the Salton Trough. The tour will continue with a stop at Red Hill, one of the Quaternary volcanoes that make up the Salton Buttes, and nearby fumaroles and hot springs to discuss the geothermal activity in the area, as well as the Salton Sea and future development (including the potential for mineral extraction).  Tours of the Hudson Ranch power plant, CalEnergy wellfield will conclude the first day.

Day 2 begins with a drive near the US/Mexico border (and nearby solar farms) on the way to Ormat’s Heber geothermal power plant for a tour. The final stops on the way back to Palm Springs will include a visit to “Slab City” (just outside of the town of Niland) to seethe amazing Salvation Mountain and a flowing hot well. The final stop will be at the Wister mud pots along Highway 111, where the movement of a mud pot has created a dangerous situation for the integrity of the highway and Union Pacific railroad.

We look forward to having you join us on this trip to the Imperial Valley, which has become a significant hot-spot for renewable energy – with production from geothermal, solar, wind and biofuel – and possibly soon to be one of the most important regions for lithium mining.

More Information.........         

Sign Up With GRC Annual Meeting Registration........

China: International Geothermal Energy Technology & Equipment Exhibition in August

6th China International Geothermal Energy Technology & Equipment Exhibition & 11th Chinese GSHP Conference & Exhibition 2019

18-20 August, 2019, Beijing, China

Dear colleagues,

Geothermal energy is a kind of renewable energy with large reserves, wide distribution, clean and environmental protection, stable and reliable. It plays an important role in the development of clean energy in the future.Vigorously promoting the development and utilization of geothermal energy is of great practical and long-term strategic significance to China's energy structure adjustment, climate change, air pollution control and ecological civilization construction, as well as the people's aspiration for clean energy use and a better life.

Europe: Update on GEOFIT Geothermal Heating and Cooling Projects

Progress on demonstration activities - GEOFIT project

The enhanced geothermal systems that are being developed under the GEOFIT project will be installed in 5 pilots located in 4 different countries covering the following scenarios: urban retrofitting, rock drilling and seismic retrofitting.

Pins del Vallès School in Sant Cugat (Spain). The power needed is about 100 kW, so it has been estimated that 19 boreholes of 120 m deep are required. Besides improved vertical drilling, Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) will be performed (several alternatives have been analysed by CDP as shown in the picture below). The heat pump is being developed by OCHSNER and technical specifications and tests are being carried out in AIT labs. In principle, the heat pump will be used for heating 3 buildings (administrative, primary school and sports pavilion) and passive cooling has been proposed for the administrative one.

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Science & Technology: Shallow Geothermal Energy is Source of Clean, Renewable and Virtually Inexhaustible Energy

Shallow geothermal energy: Geological energy for the ecological transition and its inclusion in European and national energy policies (European Geologist Journal)

By Rubén Esteban Pérez

Of all possible forms of energy substitution of oil and gas, geothermal energy is the one most closely related to geology. Shallow geothermal energy is a source of clean, renewable and virtually inexhaustible energy that is directly related to geographical areas, where heat fluxes and temperature gradients can vary due to several factors. This document summarises the current situation of the policies on the use of shallow (low temperature) geothermal energy in Europe to generate hot water and air conditioning. The current status of legislation in some European countries and the promotion of shallow geothermal energy in the EU28 are also discussed.

The geothermal surface energy can be divided according to the depth and constant temperature of the subsoil in several types that are directly related to the indicated heat output (Krarti et al., 1995):

• Up to 0.5 m depth: The surface of the soil exchanges heat with the atmosphere and is undergoes daily temperature variations.
• Up to around 10 m depth: Seasonal temperature variations are noticeable in the ground. Some authors consider that in the south of Europe from 5 m depth, the temperature is around 15°C with small variations (e.g. Burroughs, 2003). From 10 m deep and depending on the characteristics of the subsoil the temperature of the ground can remain constant throughout the year.
• At a depth of 15 m: The soil is considered to be at constant temperature all year round with a value that, depending on the external climatic conditions, may be slightly higher than the average annual surface temperature. From this depth, the temperature of the subsoil does not depend on seasonal variations in temperature, only on geological and geothermal conditions.
• Below 20 m depth: The temperature increases at a rate of 3 °C per 100 m (average geothermal gradient), being 25–30 °C at 500 m depth in most of the planet.

With all the exposed so far, it can be said that from 15 m depth the temperature of the subsoil will be constant throughout the year, being higher than the atmospheric temperature in winter and much colder in summer (obviously this will depend on the climatic zone where the geothermal installation is located).

Read More.........

Shallow geothermal energy: Geological energy for the ecological transition and its inclusion in European and national energy policies.  By Rubén Esteban Pérez.  European Geologist Journal 47 – Geology and the energy transition.

Canada: Aquaponics Farm to Use Direct Source of Geothermal Heat for Plant Growth

Construction on Yukon aquaponics facility could begin this spring (CBC)

New plan would use geothermal energy near Takhini hot springs, proponents say

Some entrepreneurs in Yukon say they've found a creative way to move their project forward — by using geothermal power. Founders of Yukon's North Star Agriculture have been pushing to build an aquaponics facility in Yukon, which would raise fish and vegetables indoors. 

CEO Sonny Gray says the company has now secured funding to build a facility near the Takhini hot springs, outside Whitehorse. Gray says that using geothermal power for the project could reduce energy costs by at least a third.

The plan is to use warm water that drains from the Takhini Hot Pools. The water won't touch the plants, but its heat will be used year-round to cycle through heat exchangers and pipes in the floor. 

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From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Friday, November 10, 2017 - Canada: Exploratory Drilling Underway at Yukon Geothermal Energy Project
• Monday, March 6, 2017 - Canada: Exploration Begins for Geothermal Energy in Yukon
• Friday, March 6, 2015 - Canada: Takhini Hot Springs to Develop Geothermal Energy

Germany: The First German Geothermally Heated Greenhouse

Geothermal energy is on the rise in vegetable production (Hortidaily)

The first German geothermally heated greenhouse is located in Kirchweidach [in the district of Altötting in Bavaria]; it belongs to the Steiner vegetable farm. All heating is supplied by the neighboring geothermal plant. The photovoltaic system on the roof of the operating halls offers a self-contained power supply. 

This is how vegetable cultivation can be done  regionally and climate-friendly without the use of fossil fuels. Geothermal heat is used to grow tomatoes, peppers and strawberries, reported the German Geothermal Association.

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USA, Massachusetts: East Coast Geothermal Energy Developer Aims For Over 10 GW of Renewable Energy Infrastructure Over the Next 30-years

Eden GeoPower Seeks Investors (News Release)


(Video 1:45 Minutes)

Eden GeoPower Inc. is revolutionizing the energy industry by combining renewable energy and blockchain to develop off-grid geothermal resources. The value created will be in the form of a security token built, designed, and distributed by Eden.

Our strategy is to:

1. Take advantage of the low-hanging fruit which is to use existing geothermal resources for energy production and 
2. support and develop future technologies for commercialization of “Enhanced Geothermal Systems”. 

Our company's goal is to be directly involved with the development of over 10 GW of renewable energy infrastructure over the next 30-years. Each geothermal power plant that we develop will be capable of producing up to 50 MW of renewable geothermal energy, for up to 30 years, and at a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) below 5c/kWh.

To do so, Eden GeoPower will be financing each of its power plants’ capital investment through the digital issuance of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). This digital SPV will take the form of a token, and will grant its holder (investor) ownership of a project, as well as recurrent dividends from that project’s net earnings.

More Information..........

Republic of Ireland: Successful Conference on Geothermal Resources in Éire

Geothermal Energy in Ireland & the GEOFIT solution (Geofit)

A CPD Event open to the public, was held on January 24th at the National University of Ireland, Galway, on Geothermal Energy in Ireland and the solution of the GEOFIT project. The presentation was led by Ric Pasquali, President of the Irish Geothermal Association, and followed by talks on the GEOFIT project by Thomas Messervey from R2M and Gisela Soley from COMSA.

The aim of this presentation was to discuss in detail the issue of geothermal energy, a largely untapped resource to date that has a great deal of potential. More particularly, the presentation discussed the potential of geothermal energy in Ireland, which will help in the near future to move towards sustainability.

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United Kingdom: Video of Work on Penzance Open Air Pool Heated by Geothermal Energy

First look inside Penzance's Jubilee Pool during £1.8million revamp

A £1.8-million project to heat part of Penzance's Jubilee Pool is gathering pace with the work due to be finished by July. Cornwall Live was given access to look around the site and see the work to convert the 1930s pool using geothermal energy. Part of the pool will be heated to 35 degrees thanks to a pioneering geothermal well 410 metres below which taps into the hot granite rocks.

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USA: Funding Available for Geothermal Projects from SBIR/STTR

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Announces $20 Million Available for Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer (DOE/EERE)

As part of this week’s funding opportunity (FOA) announcement  from the Energy Department's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Office for approximately  $37 million, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) expects to fund more than 100 new projects, totaling approximately $20 million.

Nine EERE technology offices will fund and manage proposals under these topics—one for each technology office (Advanced Manufacturing, Bioenergy, Buildings, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Solar, Vehicles, Water, and Wind), with three joint office topics (Advanced Manufacturing with Fuel Cells, Advanced Manufacturing with Geothermal, and Advanced Manufacturing with Solar).  The 41 subtopics range from Algae Engineering to Wind Turbine Blade Recycling, and there are three Office of Technology Transfer Opportunity (TTO) subtopics.

View the FOA document Here. Additional information on the DOE SBIR and STTR programs is available Here. Additional Information on EERE SBIR and STTR programs is available Here.

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Mexico: Government Technological Route Maps for Geothermal Energy and Heat

Mapas de Ruta Tecnológica de Energías Renovables - Renewable Energy Technology Route Maps (Secretario de Energía)

El propósito de los Mapas de Ruta Tecnológica es identificar los retos y las barreras que enfrenta el país para el aprovechamiento sustentable de las energías renovables al 2030.

(From Google Translate) The purpose of the Technological Route Maps is to identify the challenges and barriers that the country faces for the sustainable use of renewable energies by 2030.

Geotermia 

• Documento del Mapa de Ruta Tecnológica.
• Diagnóstico Tecnológico del CEMIE.
• Reporte de Inteligencia Tecnológica.
• Cartera de Necesidades de Innovación y Desarrollo Tecnológico.
• Diagrama del MRT.

Usos Directos del Calor Geotérmico 

• Mapa de Ruta Tecnológica
• Reporte de Inteligencia Tecnológica
• Cartera de Necesidades de Innovación y Desarrollo Tecnológico
• Diagrama del MRT

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Europe: Geothermal Association Calls for More Heating and Cooling for Decarbonisation of the Energy System.

Heating and cooling sector to get its due spot on the decarbonisation radar (EGEC)

Meeting attendees acknowledge the importance of heating and cooling (H&C) for the decarbonisation of our energy system.

On 28 November 2018, policymakers and industry gathered at the Committee of the Regions for the High-Level Round Table on the Decarbonisation of the Heating Sector, a joint event organised by the European Commission and the Decarb Heat Initiative partners. 

The timing is right: on the very same day that the European Commission launched its Long-term Emissions Reduction Strategy, the topic of decarbonising heat received the attention it deserves. Being responsible for 50% of final energy consumption in Europe, addressing heat will be paramount for reaching a net-zero emissions economy by 2050 and needs therefore to become a policy priority for the EU.

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Iceland: Geothermal Energy Helps Boost Year-Round Availability of Fresh Food

Iceland harnesses hot springs to power year-round farming (Thomson Reuters Foundation)

 (Courtesy Thomson Reuters Foundation)

Geothermal energy, which makes up a quarter of Iceland's electricity, has helped boost the year-round availability of fresh food

Iceland's volcanic origins have blessed the island of 350,000 inhabitants with abundant geothermal energy - a renewable resource that, unlike solar or wind power, is unaffected by its unpredictable weather.

Geothermal energy makes up a quarter of Iceland's electricity - all of which comes from renewable sources - and has helped boost the year-round availability of fresh food in the past two decades.

The naturally hot water is piped in to heat the greenhouses and the hot springs are also a key source power for the artificial lights that help farmers grow their crops even in winter, when the island sees barely three hours of sunlight.

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Global: Free Article from the GRC Bulletin - The Voice of the Geothermal Energy Community

The Latest News from the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC)

Free article from the GRC Bulletin - Volume 47, No. 5 - September/October 2018

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) has released the latest GRC Bulletin, the voice of the global geothermal energy industry, published continuously since 1972.

The Bulletin is free with GRC Membership or subscribe (PDF) to six issues a year for $90 in the USA or $140 worldwide.

The GRC has generously provided 8 pages from the latest issue for free! However, the full issue is 58 pages and available to download for GRC Members only.

In this issue, there is an article on using Play Fairway Analysis to discover geothermal resources in western Nevada, a description of the geothermal heating system at the Peppermill Resort Spa & Casino in Reno and 19 pages of geothermal news from around the world.

The GRC Bulletin is only available online to GRC members. To make sure of your copy join the GRC today!

Canada: "Direct Use of Geothermal Heat: A Mature and Deployable Solution for Canada" - Report

CanGEA Releases "Direct Use of Geothermal Heat: A Mature and Deployable Solution for Canada" (News Release)

The Canadian Geothermal Energy Association (CanGEA) has published a document about direct use of geothermal heat. It includes the basics of direct use, global case studies and the relevant takeaways for the Canadian geothermal industry, job creation impacts, and applications in Canada.

Geothermal energy, or heat from subsurface, is a clean and renewable form of energy that is being developed and utilized in 82 countries around the world. Canada, despite being among the global leaders for actions taken to mitigate climate change, has yet to harness its geothermal energy potential in a meaningful way. Though Canada does have geothermal resources that offer the

potential for geothermal electricity production, the potential applications for the direct use of geothermal heat are endless and should be further explored by the Canadian government and developers. 

Direct Use of Geothermal Heat: A Mature and Deployable Solution for Canada (PDF)..........

United Kingdom: Geothermal Spa Project Reaches 30 Degree Celsius Water at 410 Meters

Jubilee Pool geothermal spa to have even hotter water than expected (Cornwall Live)

It was like striking gold for the team behind the hot rocks bonanza in Penzance

The Jubilee Pool geothermal spa will be hotter than expected and that means the water will reach temperatures of up to 30 degrees C.

Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL), the company which has been drilling holes into the earth below the famous Jubilee Pool to tap into the earth's natural heat, said it found a warm water 'geothermal vein' 410 metres deep into the rock below Penzance's iconic sea water open air Lido.

The company, which is also involved in building the UK's first ever geothermal power plant at United Downs near Redruth, where it is drilling two 4.5 km deep holes into the earth's crust as part of a £18m EU-funded project with the potential to power 3,000 homes, said the hot water will now be tapped up to heat a section Jubilee Pool all year round.

GEL managing director Ryan Law said hitting the warmer than expected hot water vein was like 'striking gold'.

He said: "We are delighted that we have hit the hot water vein," said. "It is warmer than expected and capable of yielding much more geothermal energy than planned.

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USA, Pennsylvania: Mining Engineer Believes State Should Utilize Mine Water Geothermal Resources

Opinion - Leadership Opportunity: Pennsylvania Should Make Mine Water Geothermal A Key Part Of Its Clean Energy Transformation (PA Environment Blog)

By Michael C. Korb, P.E., Senior Mining Engineer, Tetra Tech, Inc.

One of Pennsylvania’s potential sources of water for geothermal systems is mine-water pools. Heating and cooling buildings with mine-water makes use of what was previously thought of as a dirty problem. 

Application of this technology is also proven for almost 40 years. 

Mine-water geothermal can give many areas of the Commonwealth a rather remarkable source of heating/cooling which is perhaps the most economical, energy-efficient, low carbon footprint scheme. 

There are currently mine-water geothermal operating systems in Nova Scotia, Scotland, Netherlands, Missouri; and Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

Mines that are flooded with water - mine pools - are essentially almost unlimited aquifers.  Mine-water geothermal projects are feasible when there is a mine pool located nearby. 

Pennsylvania should recognize that mine pools are underutilized energy sources, should be considered community assets, and should encourage their use for future sustainable energy projects.  

District heating and cooling utilizing mine-water geothermal could be a “community-based approach focused on long-term economic diversification and recovery of communities formerly dependent on coal.” 

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USA, Colorado: Three Day Geothermal Hot Springs Conference

U.S. Hot Springs Conference!

November 7–9, 2018, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA

Especially designed for hot springs owners, operators, general managers, facilities directors and marketing professionals.

Meet hot springs colleagues from across the United States. Exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s largest mineral hot springs, vapor caves and new facilities.

Get Tickets.........                   More Information........