GRC Annual Meeting and GEA GEOEXPO+

Register now for the geothermal event of the year

Discounted early-bird rates expire September 23

• Annual Meeting Preliminary Program
• Annual Meeting Registration Form

Don't miss out on the early bird discount and register for the largest annual geothermal conference in the world, the GRC Annual Meeting and GEA GEOEXPO+.

There are several ways to register for the GRC Annual Meeting:

Register Online (preferred method)*:

• Connect directly to our Registration Website
• Log on with your GRC Member ID and Password or create one if you are not in our database.
• Click on " Register Myself" 
• Select your registration options! 

Group Registrations:

• Contact Anh Lay by email: alay@geothermal.org or phone: (530) 758-2360 ext. 100 

Download the Registration Form, fill it out and email, fax, or mail it to us:
Registration Form (PDF) 

• Email your form to alay@geothermal.org
• Fax your form to: (530) 758-2839

*Please Note: For online registrations, you will need your login id and password or you can create one if you are not in our database. If you do not know your login id or password, please contact the GRC office by phone at (530) 758-2360 ext 100 or by email at alay@geothermal.org.

• Annual Meeting Preliminary Program
• Annual Meeting Registration Form

Turkey: World Bank Announces Procurement for Geothermal Energy Project Funding

Turkey seeks $290 Million funding for geothermal projects (Anadolu Agency)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The Government of Turkey has applied for up to $290 million in funding for its geothermal energy projects, according to a World Bank announcement Tuesday.

The World Bank has published a procurement notice for the bank's Turkey Geothermal Development Project, of which the primary objective is to scale up private sector investment in geothermal energy in Turkey.

The notice read that the funding is required to be used at the early stage of development in geothermal projects and foresees an amount of up to $290 million in support.

The Turkish government has set a target of developing 1,000 megawatts (MW) of geothermal electricity generation capacity by 2023 and has put in place a supportive legal framework to facilitate geothermal development.

Read More.......

Montserrat: Preparations for Arrival of Geothermal Drilling Rig

Montserrat Geothermal Energy Project Moving Forward (Caribbean Journal)

Montserrat Drilling Site on the Flank of the Soufriere Volcano, Bastien Poux, EGS, Inc.

Montserrat’s geothermal energy exploration project is moving forward. Preparations have begun for the drilling of what will be the island’s third geothermal well.

Montserrat is dredging Port Plymouth in order to accommodate the arrival of the vessel transporting the drilling equipment for the project.

Read More.......

Education: Winning Geothermal Energy Infographic

Students Win Geothermal Design Challenge

Marisa Lu, Tiffany Lai and Susie Lee, three rising sophomores from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design, won the grand prize in the 2016 Geothermal Design Challenge.

The competition was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office, in partnership with the Center for Advanced Energy Studies and the Idaho National Laboratory. Teams explored the future of geothermal energy by designing an infographic to tell a compelling story.

Their final design, “Our Energy Future? A Down to Earth Solution” depicts a landscape of energy flowing from the sun down to the core of the Earth.

“I think something risky our team decided to do was incorporate information about other types of energy, so that our infographic wasn't only focused on geothermal energy,” Lai said. “We wanted to be realistic. We depicted statistics about current energy sources and what their status would be in the future.”

The team received a prize of $2,500 and expenses paid travel to the Geothermal Resource Council’s 40th Annual Meeting Oct. 23-26 in Sacramento, Calif.

Read More........

Netherlands: Drilling Begins at Vogelaer Geothermal Project

Start of drilling at Aardwarmte Vogelaer

After months of preparation, the Aardwarmte Vogelaer geothermal project started drilling in Poeldijk, Holland on 12 August. Seven participating greenhouse companies are expected to begin using the geothermal energy station located at the Wateringseweg and the heat distribution network to be set up at the end of 2016.

First the production well will be drilled, from which the well water will be pumped up. Then the injection well will be drilled. Through this well the cooled water will be pumped back into the sand layer. Both wells will be located at 2,500 meters depth and extract hot water of approximately 85 degrees C (185 degrees F) . The heat from this water is used to heat the greenhouse farms in a sustainable manner. This way the related horticultural companies expect to annually emit approximately 23 kilo tonnes less CO2 and save more than 13 million m3 of natural gas. This is equivalent to the consumption by approximately 8,000 households.

Read More........

China: Geothermal Likely to Account for About 1.5% of Country's Energy Consumption By 2020 - Expert

China to more than triple geothermal power consumption by 2020 (Global Times)

China is expected to more than triple geothermal power consumption by 2020 to 72.1 million tonnes of coal equivalent from the current level, an expert said Monday. 

China consumed about 20 million tonnes of coal equivalent of geothermal resources for heating, power generation and other uses in 2015, said Cao Yaofeng, an academician of the China Engineering Academy, at a summit on sustainable development. 

By 2020, geothermal power will likely account for about 1.5 percent of the country's total energy consumption, Cao said, helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 177 million tonnes. 

In 2014, the amount of hot dry rock, the most abundant source of geothermal energy, on the Chinese mainland was estimated to be the equivalent of 860 trillion tonnes of standard coal, or 260,000 times China's annual energy consumption that year.

Read More.........

Mexico: Three Exploration Permits Granted to ENAL and Grupo Dragon

Otorga SENER tres nuevos permisos a empresas privadas para realizar actividades de exploración de recursos geotérmicos (News Release)

SENER grants three new licenses to private companies for exploration of geothermal resources. 

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

La Secretaría de Energía, a través de la Dirección General de Energías Limpias, otorgó tres nuevos permisos de exploración de recursos geotérmicos en los Estados de Guanajuato, Baja California y Jalisco. Los permisos de exploración fueron entregados a Grupo ENAL y Grupo Dragón.

The Ministry of Energy, through the Directorate General of Clean Energy, awarded three new exploration permits geothermal resources in the states of Guanajuato, Baja California and Jalisco. Permits were given to ENAL and Dragon Group.

Leer Mas.........           Read More........

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+

California to Host Ultimate Geothermal Energy Event in October (News Release)

California will host the geothermal energy event of the year from October 23-26, just 9 weeks away. This event brings together key players in policy, technology, and industry at the Sacramento Convention Center -- the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+.

Last year, the event hosted more than 1,200 representatives from over 25 countries spanning six continents. With the strong growth in the world market and positive role of policy and new technology that supports that growth an even larger and more diverse crowd is anticipated this year.

The GRC Annual Meeting features over 40 hours of technical presentations, workshops, fieldtrips, a plenary session, networking events and more. The GRC Technical Session programs will cover a wide array of topics pertaining to geothermal energy. The program will cover exciting technological developments such as the work of the DOE in low-temperature systems, innovative drilling tech, and hybrid systems including geothermal mixed with solar at a time when new technological advances are advancing the geothermal industry at a rapid pace.

Four workshops and four fieldtrips will be held at the event. The two-day Conceptual Models of Geothermal Systems and Reservoir Stimulation workshops and a one day Operations & Maintenance workshop. In addition, there will be a special Geothermal 101 workshop. The fieldtrips will include excursions to The Geysers, the largest geothermal field in the world.

The GRC Annual Meeting this year supports the theme “Geothermal Energy - Here and Now: Sustainable, Clean, Flexible” highlighting the important role and values of geothermal energy today. “This will be the 40th year the GRC has brought together the US and international geothermal community,” said Steve Ponder, GRC Executive Director. Registration is now open for the GRC Annual Meeting.

Japan: More Aid for African Geothermal Development to be Announced

Tokyo switching on aid for African geothermal power (Nikkei)

(Couretsy CIA.gov)

Japan's government will provide financial assistance for geothermal power projects in Africa, with Japanese trading houses and plant builders eyeing new business opportunities in this underdeveloped area of the continent's infrastructure.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will announce the aid initiative next week at the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, to be held in Nairobi.

The Japanese government will provide both financing and know-how for African geothermal projects from the initial stage, hoping to improve the odds of success in exploration. Grants will cover a portion of pre-construction-stage costs, which can run to $100 million. For starters, the government will appropriate more than 1 billion yen ($9.97 million) for grant provision as part of a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year.

In addition, Tokyo will make low-interest loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and other financing available for African geothermal projects that have reached the construction stage. The Abe government announced in May that it would provide $200 billion through such channels to support infrastructure exports. Some of this will go to projects in Africa.

Read More........

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+

69 Exhibitors Sign Up for Geothermal Event

So far 69 exhibitors have signed up to display their products and services at the 40th GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+. The biggest geothermal event of the year will be held October 23-26, in Sacramento, California, USA. The Geothermal Energy Association organizes the trade show portion of the geothermal event.

• 3J Tech
• AltaRock Energy Inc.
• AMSA, Inc.
• Baseload Power Generation Parts and Service, LLC
• BS&B Safety Systems, LLC
• Bureau of Land Management
• Butting
• Capuano Engineering Company
• C-FER Technologies
• Coastal Technologies, Inc.
• Cooling Tower Depot, Inc.
• Dewhurst Group
• DOSECC Exploration Services (DES)
• EGS Consulting Inc.
• EthosEnergy
• EvapTech, Inc
• Exergy SpA
• Expro
• Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
• Gardner Denver Nash
• Geologica Geothermal Group
• Geothermal Resource Group, Inc. (GRG)
• Geothermal Resources Council (GRC)
• GeothermEx
• Geothermal Development Associates
• Global Power Solutions
• Horizon Well Logging
• Hydro Resources
• Indar Electric, S.L.
• Industrial Cooling Solutions
• International Cooling Tower USA, Inc.
• John M Phillips
• Kelly Pipe & Supply
• Kuster Company
• KMS Technologies
• Mill Man Steel, Inc
• Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems
• Nalco Company
• Nevada Division of Minerals
• Ormat Technologies, Inc.
• Phoenix Geophysics Ltd.
• PM International Suppliers, LLC
• POWER Engineers, Inc.
• PowerChem Technology
• Quantec Geosciences Ltd.
• Reed Electric & Field Service
• REXA
• Rotork Controls Inc.
• Sinclair Well Products
• SNC-Lavalin Power
• SPX Corporation
• Tenaris
• Tetra Tech
• Thermochem, Inc.
• TIMET
• TIX-IKS Corporation
• TNG Energy Services
• Torishima Pump Mfg. Co., Ltd
• Toshiba American Energy Systems Corporation (TAES)
• Turboden
• US Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office
• U.S.-East Africa Geothermal Partnership (EAGP)
• Val-Matic Valves
• Veizades & Associates, Inc.
• Victaulic
• Vooner FloGard Corporation
• Wieland Thermal Solutions
• Wolseley Industrial Group
• WWT International

If you are interested in exhibiting at the GEA GEOEXPO+ please visit the GEA website.

The GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+ is the industry’s largest annual gathering of leading geothermal energy scientists, producers, renewable energy industry stakeholders, regulators, utilities, and key associated business leaders. The four-day event will offer technical, policy, and market conference sessions, educational seminars, tours of local geothermal and renewable energy projects, a trade show and numerous networking opportunities. Registration also includes entry to the GEA Geothermal Energy Expo.

More information at: http://www.geothermal.org/meet-new.html

Vacancy: Project Manager/ Project Director- Power Generation- Geothermal- Africa

Project Manager/ Project Director- Power Generation- Geothermal- Africa (PMG/MF/233L) (Permanent) (Jackson Global)

Jackson Global are working with an up and coming Power Generation company who have recently acquired a large Geothermal Power Plant in Africa.

The company are looking for an experienced Project Manager to manage a small team of in-house Engineers, coordinate with the Technical Director to ensure adequate design influence and buy-in, maintain the project schedule and cost forecasts and provide field project engineering coordination with EPC contractor.

Responsibilities of the role include:

• Overall responsibility for cost, schedule, performance, safety, quality, risk management, engineering, construction and start-up of the Power Plant
• Management and coordination of design and operational reviews and approvals
• Reviewing/developing technical standards, specifications, drawings and documents.
• Managing day to day commercial and contractual issues
• Working with Management to implement internal Project Control tools
• Assisting in the negotiation of the EPC Agreements
• Reporting to Management on Power Plant progress, costs, schedule, safety, quality, etc.
• Participating in the selection and negotiation of engineering and construction contractors.

Read More........

Germany: Research Could Pinpoint Geothermal Reservoir

Characterizing the Faults Beneath Germany (EOS)

As Europe flexed down under the weight of the Alps, a foreland basin—the German Alpine Molasse, which today extends from Switzerland in the west to the Czech Republic in the east—formed. Within this basin, geologists have found large faults that displace sediments. Although they are parallel to faults within the underlying carbonate platform, the two groups of faults are not physically connected, raising the question of how such faults could independently develop.

Luckily, the basin has been under intense scrutiny for decades: First, oil and gas companies scoured the region for any available resources; more recently, speculation that a newly discovered, deep aquifer could be used as a geothermal reservoir fueled further exploration. However, to characterize the potential reservoir, researchers needed to better understand the fault kinematics.

(Thanks to GRC Member Marcelo Lippmann, Staff Scientist (retired) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the submission.)

Read More........

Indonesia: Geothermal Association is Against PT PLN/PGE Merger

Geothermal Companies Against PGE Acquisition by PLN (Tempo.co)

Geothermal companies in the Indonesian Geothermal Association (INAGA) are against PT PLN's plan to acquire Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE), a subsidiary of PT Pertamina. INAGA argues that PLN's reason to acquire PGN, which is for operational efficiency, is just an excuse.

INAGA chair Abadi Purnomo said geothermal exploration and development costs will not drop because of an acquisition. The reason is because geothermal business chains depend on investment climate, which determined by oil and gas factors.

"The acquisition plan is nothing but a plan to spend money. That fund is better off used for expanding electricity distribution or building new power plants," he told Tempo Wednesday, August 17, 2016.

PLN actually already have a subsidiary engaged in the geothermal business, PLN Geothermal. But the subsidiary has made no significant actions. Meanwhile, Pertamina's PGE manages eight geothermal power plants.

Pertamina president director Dwi Soetjipto said there is no certainty about PLN's plan to acquire PGE. The decision depends on the process of due diligence and feasibility studies.

Read More........

Science & Technology: Lab to Help Develop Geothermal Power Project Using CO2 as Working Fluid

Lab collaborates with small businesses in gas turbine manufacturing and geothermal projects (LLNL)

The ECO2G System, in which carbon dioxide is circulated through deep well bores to harvest geothermal energy. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is collaborating with GreenFire Energy on the project.

Two small businesses working with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will receive more than $350,000 for expertise in advanced gas turbine manufacturing and geothermal engineering as part of the Department of Energy‘s (DOE) Small Business Voucher (SBV) pilot.

With vouchers in hand, these businesses can better leverage the world-class capabilities of the department’s national laboratories and bring their next-generation clean energy technologies to the marketplace faster.

LLNL scientists Joe Morris and Rick Ryerson will work with GreenFire Energy to develop a novel technology in which carbon dioxide is circulated through deep well bores to harvest geothermal energy.

Read More........

Canada: Geothermal Energy has Many Opportunities for Businesses in Valemount

Meet The Forestry Town Striving to Become Canada’s First Geothermal Village (Desmog Canada)

A forestry town is working to re-invent itself as a renewable energy leader with a project that promises community revitalization from the ground up.  

The mountain village of Valemount, British Columbia, located along the Rocky Mountain trench is eyeing the nearby Canoe Reach hot springs — one of the hottest surface hot springs in Canada — as a source of geothermal heat and renewable electricity generation.

“Valemount used to be a typical northern forest town,” Silvio Gislimberti, head of the Valemount Geothermal Association, told DeSmog Canada. “But now we would like to create a geothermal industrial park.”

An old mill that shut down in 2007 provides a near perfect location for Borealis Geopower, the company working with the community to make something of the region’s geothermal potential.

Read More........

USA: Four Geothermal Projects Get a Boost from DOE

Energy Department Awards 43 New Business-Laboratory Collaborations Under Small Business Vouchers Pilot (DOE/EERE)

Today, the Energy Department announced 43 small businesses will participate in the second round of the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot.

With vouchers in hand, these businesses can better leverage the world-class capabilities of the department's national laboratories and bring their next-generation clean energy technologies to the marketplace faster.

Four collaborations in the geothermal area will include exploring a recently discovered geothermal resource in Nevada, ensuring that new geothermal extraction and storage solutions are ready for the market, and developing lower-cost methods for extracting rare earth elements critical to clean energy technologies.

Anactisis, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Anactisis will work with the national labs to further its selective extraction technologies for energy critical materials. This work will allow Anactisis to diversify and strengthen high risk commodity markets by exploiting unconventional resources. Working with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Elko Heat Co., City of Wells, Nevada
Elko Heat Company and the City of Wells will utilize geologic data collected since the early 1980s, including data collected following the 2008 Wells earthquake, to develop an integrated conceptual model of the region’s geothermal resources using spatial and subsurface spatial and subsurface analytical tools. This work aims to produce a resource model of the area that will reveal the most
productive sites for drilling targets and direct use applications. Working with Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Greenfire Energy, Emeryville, California
GreenFire Energy Inc. will receive assistance modeling the creation and behavior of a small fracture system in hot, impermeable rock as part of its CO2-based geothermal power system. Working with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Hyperlight Energy, La Jolla, California
Hyperlight Energy will involve thermal modeling, assessment, and evaluation in support of thermal battery storage options for use in solar thermal/geothermal hybrid power plants. Working with National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Read More........

Eastern Caribbean: Give Your Opinion on a Regional Geothermal Development Strategy

OECS Regional Collaboration on Geothermal

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission solicits your assistance in completing a survey aimed at informing a regional strategy for geothermal development. 

Your views and opinions are important for this process and we thank you for your collaboration.

Take the Survey........

USA: Latest News from the Geothermal Heat Pump Industry

Heat Exchange Industry News (Geothermal Exchange Organization)

The latest GEO Industry News is now available from the Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO).

Headlines and features in this month’s edition include:

• GEO-IGSHPA States Advocacy Meeting 
• From California to New England, State Geothermal Associations Discuss Their Efforts and Activities
• NY-GEO Asks Cuomo to Sign State Geo Tax Credit Measure
• Insightful Articles about Net Zero and GHPs
• IGSHPA 2017 Conference Call for Papers

The Geothermal Exchange Organization, a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association based in Springfield, Illinois, USA that advocates the environmental, energy efficiency and economic benefits of geothermal heat pump systems for heating and cooling applications in residential, commercial, and institutional buildings in the USA.

GEO Industry News (PDF)

Chile: Power Auction Included Proposals for Geothermal Energy

Chile Awards Contracts in Its Largest Power Auction (Wall Street Journal)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

Chile awarded several energy contracts Wednesday in the country’s largest-ever power auction, which authorities say will sharply reduce electricity costs.

Renewable-energy companies won many of the contracts to supply 12,430 gigawatt hours per year of electricity over 20 years starting in 2021.

The average cost of the contracts is $47.59 per megawatt hour, which was 63% lower than the average during the previous administration’s last auction, Energy Minister Máximo Pacheco said.

The proposals from 84 projects touched bottom at $29/MWh, and far exceeded sought-after supply of 12,430GWh/year starting in 2021. Wind accounted for 36.7pc of the total offered capacity, followed by solar with 29.8pc, LNG 22.1pc, hydro 7.2pc, and other conventional and renewables such as geothermal 4.3pc.

Read More........

China: Video of 24 MW Yangbajing Geothermal Plant

Tibet's green energy drive seeks more funding (Ecns)

Witness the amazing gifts from nature! The electricity generated by the Yangbajing geothermal plant is enough to power 50,000 Tibetan households.

Bian Dun, has seen 24 years of development, at China's first and biggest geothermal plant the 24 MW Yangbajing Geothermal Station located near Lhasa in Tibet.

He said, "The beauty is the stable supply. Geothermal diversifies Tibet's energy mix. Tibet mainly has hydro power, so there's a power shortage in winter. Geothermal is more stable, there's no seasonal impact."

 
Read More..........

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

The Latest News from the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC)

A free article from the GRC Bulletin - Volume 45, No. 4 - July/August 2016

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) has made available the latest GRC Bulletin, a 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 5 pages from the latest issue for free. However, the full issue is 48 pages!

In this issue, there is an article by GRC President Paul Brophy on Community Choice Aggregation in California - An Opportunity for the
Geothermal Industry. There are also updates on the 40th GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+ and 14 pages of geothermal news from around the world.

Join the GRC or subscribe to get the complete issue.

Video: A Guide to Careers in Geothermal Energy

Geothermal 102: Geothermal Careers (Dewhurst Group, LLC)

The second in a series of educational animations produced by Dewhurst Group, LLC, a geothermal exploration company, in collaboration with the Geothermal News Report.

Geotermia 102: Carreras Geotérmicas

Mexico: Taking Steps to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

Mexico to launch cap-and-trade pilot to help meet climate goals (Utility Dive)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

Mexico will begin experimenting with a cap-and-trade system later this year, rolling it out for a 12-month test before moving to full operations in 2018, Reuters reports.

Mexico has been taking steps to address its pollution issues; the country committed to a 22% reduction in greenhouse gasses by 2030 to help it reach the long-term Paris climate accord goals, and earlier this year struck a deal with the United States and Canada to pursue more low-carbon power. 

Research firm MEXICO2 will run the cap-and-trade program, Reuters said, which will involve verifying emissions levels reported to the country's carbon certificate registry.

---

As part of the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+ being held October 23-26 in Sacramento, California, the GRC will host the eighth annual International Luncheon. The special event will highlight the geothermal energy market and developments in Mexico:

• Mexico – International Cooperation - Emillio Camacho – California Energy Commission 
• Mexico – Resource Expansion - Magaly Flores-Armenta - CFE

Read More.........

Canada: Using Abandoned Oil Wells to Generate Geothermal Energy

Disused oil wells to be converted to geothermal plants (Revolution-green.com)

Shaye Anderson (ND),
MLA for Leduc-Beaumont
Courtesy of Legislative
Assembly of Alberta

Sometimes something just makes sense. For less than half the cost of making an abandoned oil well safe, they can convert it to a geothermal generator. When you look at the hundreds of thousands of abandoned wells this makes a lot of sense (saving money) to the oil companies,

Disused oil and gas wells dotting Canada’s energy heartland may bear fruit for Alberta’s farmers under a proposal to use waste heat from the idle facilities to allow crops to grow, even in the country’s harsh winter conditions.

Provincial legislator Shaye Anderson wants the Alberta government to allow an old well to be converted to geothermal energy to heat an 8,000 square-foot greenhouse. Currently the wells can only be used for extracting hydrocarbons.

Read More........

USA: Grant Applications Sought in Development of Advanced Methods to Access the Subsurface in High-Temperature and High-Pressure Environments

DOE Announces SBIR/STTR Funding Opportunity for Subsurface Technologies

The Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), in support of the DOE Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Energy’s Subsurface Technology and Engineering Research, Development and Demonstration (SubTER) Crosscut Initiative, announces a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding opportunity that seeks to develop advanced methods to access the subsurface.

Grant applications are sought in Development of Advanced Methods to Access the Subsurface in High-Temperature and High-Pressure Environments.

• Maximum Phase I Award Amount: $150,000
• Maximum Phase II Award Amount: $1,000,000

Webinar: Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Click Here to Register

Grant applications are sought to research, develop, and deploy new and original processes, techniques, tools, and/or sensors that support the SubTER crosscut initiative’s thrust areas of wellbore integrity and drilling technologies. Geothermal energy resources are often more difficult to access compared to other subsurface energy resources due to deep drilling through high-temperature, high-pressure, hard crystalline lithologies.

Responsive applications to this subtopic could include techniques to address wellbore instability, reduce lost circulation, or drill in the presence of CO2 (or other gasses). The innovations sought range from well log/petrophysical analyses to new packers, liners, and other completion tools.

More information.......

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+: Deadline To Register For The GRC Golf Tournament!

Register for Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting (News Release)

Deadline To Register: September 1, 2016

Popular networking event for the geothermal energy industry in Sacramento, California. 

Just before the start of the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+, the GRC Annual Charity Golf Tournament will take place October 23 at the William Land Golf Course just three miles from the conference site. Registration for the tournament is now open.

Golf Tournament Flyer and Registration Form........

Register Online

This year the proceeds from the tournament will go to the GRC Scholarship Fund. 

The William Land Golf Course is Sacramento’s oldest golf treasure. In 1911 William Land left $250,000 “to purchase a public park within a suitable distance of Sacramento to be used as a recreation spot for children and a pleasure ground for the poor.” William Land Park was established on its present site in the 1920’s and the golf course was built in 1924.

More details of the tournament can be found on the GRC website at www.geothermal.org. Download the GRC Annual Charity Golf Tournament Flyer and fill out a registration form which can be mailed or faxed to the GRC office. Or Register Online.......

Finance: No Technology Manages to Produce Renewable Power as Consistently and Reliably as Geothermal

Geothermal and Chill (Investing Daily)

Of all the ways to produce renewable power, no technology manages to do it as consistently and reliably as geothermal. In fact, according to data collected by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), only nuclear power has a higher average capacity factor:

Capacity factor compares the power produced with the maximum generating capacity. The long-term average is around 90% for nuclear, 70% for geothermal and 50-70% for coal-fired and natural gas-fired power sources.

Wind and solar power technologies are much more variable and have much lower capacity factors that can and do drop to zero when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine. This means that these energy sources generally have to be backed up by other sources of firm power (power that is available on demand). Unlike most other renewable options, geothermal is considered a firm power source.    

Read More........

Indonesia: Further Details of the PT Sokoria Geothermal Sale Financials

XPED Ltd Update on Sokoria Project and Management Change (News Release)

Perth based Xped (formerly Raya Group Limited) has announced that KS Orka Renewables Pte Ltd has provided an initial USD $700,000 in funding to PT Sokoria Geothermal Indonesia (SGI). 

The funds are being used towards land tax and exploration duties needed to progress the 30 MW project and were provided under the terms of the Conditional Sale and Purchase Agreement (CSPA), whereby Orka would loan up to USD $1.5M for necessary working capital in the project. SGI has now remitted this first tranche of funds across to the relevant Indonesian government agencies and continues to work with Orka to fast track the Sokoria project. 

As announced on 2nd August 2016, completion of the CSPA is subject to approval of PLN and BKPM (the Investment Coordinating Board of the Republic of Indonesia), the extension of the exploration period under the IPB held by SGI for one year, completion of the sale between Bakrie and Orka, all warranties remaining true and correct and there being no material adverse change in SGI. The sunset date for satisfaction of all conditions is 3 months after the execution date and failure to satisfy or waive all conditions by this date gives either party the right to terminate the CSPA. 

Xped will be entitled to a payment up to USD $947,368 via payment commitment agreement between the parties.

Read More.........

USA, California: New Tarriff Agreement for CalEnergy's 171 MW Geothermal Energy in Imperial Valley

IID approves tariff agreement modifications with CalEnergy (Imperial Valley Press)

The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Board of Directors voted unanimously on Monday to approve the transmission service rollover to a new tariff for CalEnergy's geothermal facilities at the Salton Sea.

The proposed change would move CalEnergy from a funding and construction agreement to IID’s open access transmission tariff.

In the late 1980s, Imperial Irrigation District entered into a funding and construction agreement by which the 230kV KN/KS line was constructed. A number of generators were participants in that transmission project. CalEnergy owns a number of those generating facilities. CalEnergy desired to roll its plants from the FACA format to the IID's open access transmission tariff.

For consistency, IID desires to have all of its generating facilities and transmission service provided under one tariff. Accordingly, effective July 1, 2016, CalEnergy's existing FACA transmission service agreements will be transitioned to the IID OATT.

Read More.......

Mexico: Drilling Begins at 30 MW Ceboruco Geothermal Power Project

Drilling Begins For Geothermal Power Station in Nayarit, Mexico (Industrialinfo.com)

Mexxus RG (Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico), a joint venture between Mexico's Mexxus Drilling and Iceland's Reykjavik Geothermal, recently began drilling for the 30 MW Ceboruco Geothermal Power Station. 

The power station will be located about 17 kilometers northwest of Ixtlan Del Rio, in the state of Nayarit, Mexico. The total estimated value of this investment is about $115 million.

Kenya: Tender to Repair Geothermal Turbine Rotor Blade at Olkaria

Tender for Complete Repair of Olkaria 1 Unit 3 Generator Rotor at Geothermal Power Project (News Release)

(Courtesy KenGen)

Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) intends to carry out complete repair of  the Unit 3 Generator Rotor at the Olkaria 1 Geothermal Power Project.

The company invites sealed tenders from eligible firms for repair of generator rotor whose specifications are detailed in the Tender Documents.

A complete set of Tender documents may be obtained by interested tenderers upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of Ksh. 1,000 and can also be viewed and downloaded from the website at http://www.kengen.co.ke.

Tenderers who download the document are not required to pay any charges but are advised to notification of download to tenders@kengen.co.ke.

Deadline is 16 September.

More information (PDF)........

Indonesia: Tata Power Completes Sale of Geothermal Energy Asset

Tata Power arm closes $30 million stake sale in OTP Geothermal  (Moneycontrol.com)

Tata Power today said its Singapore-based subsidiary Tata Power International Pte (TPIPL) has completed sale of its 50 percent stake in OTP Geothermal Pte to KS Orka Renewables (KS Orka) for USD 30 million. 

TPIPL, wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power, had inked the stake sale agreement with KS Orka in April this year.

OTP is a 50:50 joint venture between Origin Energy Ltd and Tata Power International Pte (TPIPL). The company is developing the 240 MW Sorik Merapi Geothermal Power Project in North Sumatra, Indonesia.

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Philippines: NGAP Wants Pre-set Power Price Guarantee for Geothermal Energy

Geothermal players seek FIT accreditation from DOE (The Manila Times)

In order to address barriers related to costs and resource exploration risks faced by geothermal energy developers, the National Geothermal Association of the Philippines (NGAP) is calling for coverage under the feed-in tariff (FIT) program of geothermal emerging technologies currently not commercially viable under existing market and pricing structures.

FIT is a pre-set power price guarantee for qualified renewable energy providers. Under RA 9513, the 2008 Renewable Energy Act (RE Act), FIT given to solar, wind, and other renewable energy companies with “emerging technology” for the Philippines, but not for geothermal energy producers.

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New Zealand: Efficiency Improvements Adds 70 GWh Geothermal Energy For Contact Energy

Contact optimistic after result in line with expectations (Otago Daily Times)

Contact Energy reported a statutory loss for the year ended June 30 following $204 million of impairments relating to the closure of the Otahuhu power station, an assessment the Taheke geothermal resource was unlikely to be developed in the foreseeable future and a write-down of inventory gas.

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2016 Full Year Results Presentation-Year ended 30 June 2016 (PDF)

USA: Putting a Price on Greenhouse Gases Creates Incentives for Developing New Technologies

Fixing a major flaw in cap-and-trade (Energy Institute at Haas)

While many Californians are spending August burning fossil fuels to travel to vacation destinations, the state legislature is negotiating with Gov. Brown over whether and how to extend the California’s cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). The program, which began in 2013, is currently scheduled to run through 2020, so the state is now pondering what comes after 2020.

The program requires major GHG sources to buy “allowances” to cover their emissions, and each year reduces the total the total number of allowances available, the “cap”. The allowances are tradeable and their price is the incentive for firms to reduce emissions. A high price makes emitters very motivated to cut back, while a low price indicates that they can get down to the cap with modest efforts.

(Thanks to GRC Member Marcelo Lippmann, Staff Scientist (retired) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the submission.)

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GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+ ~ Four Fieldtrips Announced

Fieldtrips Announced for Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting

Popular excursions from the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+ in Sacramento, California. 

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) has announced more details of events at the world’s largest annual geothermal conference in Sacramento, California, USA.

In addition to the main event of the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+ taking place October 23-26, 2016, there will be three fieldtrips before the conference and one fieldtrip just after.

There will be three fieldtrips to The Geysers, the largest geothermal field in the world. A one-day and an extended two-day trip will see how the area has recovered from a devastating wildfire that caused infrastructure damage and some loss of life in September 2015. The fieldtrips will also look at how the geothermal reservoir beneath The Geysers has been recharged using recycled water from neighboring communities. Another post-meeting one-day fieldtrip will visit Calpine’s EGS field demonstration project.

In addition, there will be a half-day trip to the headquarters of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), in nearby Folsom, California to learn how CAISO keeps the 25,500 miles of the California transmission grid reliable and efficient.

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Philippines: EDC Plans Careful 60 MW Expansion of 222.5 MW Southern Negros Geothermal Power Plant

EDC plant expanding within geothermal site (The Standard)

Energy Development Corp. (EDC) said over the weekend the 60 MW expansion of the Southern Negros Geothermal Power Plant (SNGP) in Valencia, Negros Oriental will not encroach into a biodiversity area.

EDC, the country’s biggest geothermal energy producer, is expanding Southern Negros Geothermal’s capacity to 282.5 MW from 222.5 MW to meet the region’s growing electricity needs.

“We will confine our expansion within SNGP’s existing geothermal production block in Valencia,” EDC’s Negros Integrated Geothermal Business Unit head Jay Joel Soriano said.

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Latin America: The Geothermal Development Facility for Latin America

Podcast: Opportunities For Geothermal In Latin America (Frontera News)

The funding will support surface studies and early stage drilling (first 3 wells) with a goal to create 350 MW of geothermal power in the region 

The Geothermal Development Facility for Latin America (GDF) is a privately managed, Mauritius-based foundation with an initial capitalization of €50 million from the German government (KfW) and the European Union (EU). Other investment in a similar collective amount from multilateral development financial institutions (CAF, IDB, World Bank, CABEI, Norfund, AFB, DFID etc.) is under consideration.

GDF’s purpose is to provide early stage grant funding for geothermal development in 10 countries in Latin America in order to overcome the significant exploration cost hurdles which curtail the economic development of geothermal project.

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United Kingdom: Scotland Wants Advice on Deep Geothermal Drilling

SEPA Consults on Geothermal and Deep Borehole Requirements (British Drilling Association)

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) is asking for comments on 2 public consultation areas:

• CAR Licences for Deep Boreholes - Information Requirements (+200m)
• SEPA's requirements for activities related to geothermal energy

More information and instructions on making comments........

SEPA is seeking views from from interested parties including drillers, consultants and developers involved in the construction and operation of deep boreholes on proposed new guidance. It especially wants to know if it adequately specifies and explains the information they require to assess a deep borehole application.

SEPA is also seeking views from from interested parties including drillers, consultants and developers involved in the geothermal energy schemes on proposed new guidance.  It especially wants to know if the guidance adequately specifies and explains the risks to the water environment and the authorization that is required under CAR.

Deadline for comment is September 12.

Kenya: GDC to Start 150 MW Suswa Geothermal Project in Next Few Months

GDC to develop geothermal fields in Suswa (The Star)

Phase I will develop 150 MW, total could be around 750 MW

The Geothermal Development Company (GDC) will start development of geothermal fields in Suswa in two months. In a new business model, the Geothermal Development Company will explore and develop the steam fields, while private companies will compete for licences to build the power plants.

GDC managing director Johnson ole Nchoe said they expect to get requisite funding and the necessary approvals in the coming months. “We have already finalized on the exploration side, our scientist tells us the site could inject between 600-1000 MW to the national grid,” he said.

Nchoe said the Italian government has pledged to fund the project. “The drilling of the wells requires huge amounts of water, which is unavailable in Suswa,” he said. GDC has has already received Sh51 billion in loans and grants.

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Indonesia: 1,653 MW Geothermal Energy Capacity by the End of the Year

Govt offers up 30 geothermal working areas until 2018 (The Jakarta Post)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The Indonesian government is hoping to see 30 geothermal working areas tendered from 2016 to 2018 to speed up geothermal development in the country.

Yunus Saefulhak, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's director of geothermal energy, said Indonesia’s potential geothermal power amounted to 29,000 MW spread across 300 locations.

"As of today, of a total of 69 working areas, only nine produce power installed with a capacity of 1,493 MW. At the end of 2016, we expect to achieve 1,653 MW from three (additional) geothermal power plants," Yunus said at the 4th Indonesia International Geothermal Convention and Exhibition.

The geothermal working areas on offer through a bidding process from 2016 - 2018 are: Aceh (1), North Sumatra (2), West Sumatra (2), Jambi (1), South Sumatra and Lampung (1), Bengkulu (3), West Java (3), Banten (1), Central Java (1), East Java (4), West Nusa Tenggara (2), East Nusa Tenggara (2), Central Sulawesi (2), Southeast Sulawesi (1), Gorontalo (1) and North Maluku (3)

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Indonesia: Investors to Obtain Necessary Geothermal Permits Within Three Hours

Government to streamline geothermal permits (Jakarta Post)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The Indonesian government is seeking to streamline business permits in the geothermal sector in an effort to attract investments and achieve its target of a sevenfold increase in the portion of electricity generated by renewable sources in the next 10 years.

Under a recent Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial Regulation, which named geothermal a priority sector, the geothermal industry is entitled to priority investment services and investors can obtain necessary permits within three hours at the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), a privilege other industries already enjoy.

The three-hour service aims to speed up the various permit processes to create a business-friendly environment in selected industries.

Further, geothermal investors are also entitled to the one-stop service at the board, in which documents like the geothermal business license and temporary electricity supply permit can be completed without visiting other related institutions.

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New Zealand: Major Award for Geothermalist

Professor Rosalind Archer wins Energy Excellence Award (University of Auckland)

Professor Rosalind Archer at the 2016 Energy 

Excellence  Awards (Photo credit: Freeman Media)

Professor Rosalind Archer, Head of the Department of Engineering Science at University of Auckland, has been presented with the inaugural Energy Engineer of the Year award at the 2016 Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards last night.

Professor Archer sees her win as “a wonderful surprise – the award also recognizes the energy and support of a large cast of staff and students at the University whom I have the pleasure to work with. It raises the profile of the University in the energy sector, which is helpful for many of us.”

The Energy Engineer of the Year award is presented to standout engineers working in New Zealand who are “defined by their achievements” – this certainly applies to Professor Archer, who in addition to her responsibilities as Head of Department also holds the Mighty River Power Chair in geothermal reservoir engineering and is director of the Geothermal Institute. She was named a Distinguished Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) last year.

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Science & Technology: Research Develops Cement that Performs Strongly in Harsh Geothermal Conditions

EERE Success Story—Geothermal Wells: Advancing the Technology (EERE/GTO)

(Photo Courtesy Trabits Group)

One of the most critical components of geothermal resource development is the drilling process and the integrity and longevity of a geothermal well’s cementation of casings. After a geothermal production well has been drilled, the well must be stabilized with a casing, a large diameter pipe that is assembled and inserted into a recently drilled section of a borehole, in order to prevent the well walls from collapsing. The gap between the casing and the walls of the well is filled with cement, which locks the casing into place. Within geothermal wells, cement and casing integrity challenges are increased by the harsh conditions of high temperature, high pressure, and a chemical environment that can degrade conventional cement.

With assistance from the Geothermal Technology Office (GTO), Trabits Group, LLC has successfully developed a cement that performs strongly in harsh geothermal conditions and is easy to use. Containing zeolites a naturally occurring mineral that can be readily dehydrated and rehydrated this cement reduces the complexity and cost of well cementing, which will help enable the widespread development of geothermal energy in the United States.

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USA, California: Closure of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Could be a Boon for Geothermal

Huge Step for Zero-Carbon Replacement of Diablo Canyon (NRDC)

by Ralph Cavanagh, Codirector, Energy program, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Operating California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant past its 2025 license expiration would cost more than twice what many had anticipated, and significantly more than replacing it with energy efficiency and renewable resources, according to an analysis submitted today to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by the plant owner. The filing can be found here. 

NRDC continues to believe that substituting those zero-carbon resources for Diablo Canyon will save electricity users at least $1 billion.

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USA, California: The Geysers Geothermal Reservoir Recharge Project is a Winner!

Santa Rosa Geysers Recharge Project Wins Engineering Award

The GRC will host a 2-Day Santa Rosa Geysers Recharge Project and Calpine Geysers Geothermal Operations Tour on October 22-23 from the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GEOEXPO+ in Sacramento, California, USA.

The Bridge Award is an annual award given by the Northern California Engineering Contractors Association to a Project that has demonstrated collaboration between the Public and Private sectors in creating a project that has had major impact on the Community.

The 2016 Bridge Award was given to the Santa Rosa Geysers Recharge Project which has been successful in helping re-charge the geothermal reservoir in The Geysers.



John Bly, Executive Vice President of the EDC wrote about the project in a December 2016 web blog post:

"We are started on a project that will create a short video of the Geysers Pipeline Project that will encompass some of the unique aspects of this remarkable effort. I have long stated that our area is unique to the entire world because we process our waste effluent and transport it up to the geothermal area called the Geysers, where it is reinjected underground to combine with the hot magma to form steam. That steam then is harvested by huge turbines to create some of the cleanest electrical power ever generated.

For those that recall the turbulent era when the City of Santa Rosa was under a moratorium due to “spilling” effluent that got into the Russian River, we can recall all of the justifiable outrage of the environmental community that gained a huge influence as a result of the wastewater dilemma caused by how the City of Santa Rosa was disposing of the wastewater. You might recall at one time an ocean outfall near Salmon Creek was the preferred disposal option. Or the giant facultative wetlands and pond concept near Lakeville Highway. How about the injection into the roots of redwood trees that was once considered a viable alternative? At any rate, the Geysers option became viable as a result of their geothermal fields depleting the steam reservoirs back in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

The first community to act was Lake County. You might recall a group of projects including a major pipeline by Argonaut that took wastewater from Lakeport all the way to Clearlake Oaks was installed. At the same time, Wastewater treatment projects were being built all around Clearlake. And the rest of the project involved installing intakes into Clearlake to draw off lake water, mix it with the effluent, and pump it all the way from Clearlake Oaks through Middletown and up to the Calpine Geysers steam-fields. Once that system proved worthy, the City of Santa Rosa worked at selling bonds and designing their own system to bring wastewater from Llano Road treatment plant, under the Russian River (two deep bores) and up Pine Flat Road at 600psi to the Geysers steam-fields.

The Geysers Pipeline Project was, and is a remarkable achievement and is truly worthy of honoring this project as the first and perhaps the most impactful Public-Private collaboration in our local history. The ECA is proud to honor this Project and all of the design consultants, contractors, suppliers, and public officials that were able to work through the environmental constraints and physical challenges to create a long range disposal solution for wastewater that was innovative, cost effective, and brilliant."