Salute to Farmers: Farm in Buhl to Take Advantage of Geothermal Resources (KMVT.11)

 

Geothermal resources aren’t just for hot springs. One farm in Buhl, formerly Onsen Farm and now under new management, is taking advantage of the geothermal resources in the area.

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Get a Sneak Peek Inside #GRCAM2020 with a Deep-dive Demonstration

 

Virtual conferences have become the new normal in the year 2020. If you haven't already heard, for this year's annual meeting we made the decision to join the ranks of those who have moved from the convention hall to the Internet. Most of us have probably been a part of some sort of virtual event before in one way or another, but for those of us who have not, the whole concept can be slightly intimidating and overwhelming.

GRC always puts our members and the geothermal community at the center of every decision that we make, and we want to ensure everyone that we're here to help. That is why we have created a FREE Virtual Experience Webinar to give attendees a sneak peek into the digital platform GRC will be using for the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting & Expo!

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at 11:00 AM PT and will provide a deep-dive demonstration on the ins-and-outs of how to use the platform, utilize special features like 1-2-1 facetime opportunities and live chat rooms, and how to interact with the speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and other attendees.

The webinar will also navigate through the interactive Expo Hall - which is built on a cutting-edge video game platform! At the end of this live webinar, there will be a Q&A session, so all of your questions will be answered.

This webinar is perfect for those who have already registered for the GRC Virtual Annual Meeting & Expo and those who have not yet registered but have a general curiosity about the Annual Meeting. If you are hesitant about attending the meeting because of the new digital format, we highly encourage you to sign up for this webinar that will hopefully but your mind at ease.

Watch this video to learn more about the virtual experience and click here to register for the Virtual Experience Webinar.

First Canadian Geothermal Plant is A Step Closer Through DEEP Earth Energy (Hydrogen Fuel News)

 

DEEP Earth Energy Production Corp is getting ready to start the horizontal well drilling required in order to construct the first Canadian geothermal plant. This will be the first energy facility of its nature in the country. The drilling will begin before the close of the month.

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VIDEO: Puna Geothermal Officials Take Questions Online

 

Puna Geothermal Venture plans to restart initial power generation in September. On Wednesday, company officials met with the community online.

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City of Unalaska Inks Power Purchase Agreement for Geothermal Power (ALTENERGYMAG)

 

The Ounalashka Corporation and Chena Power signed a 30-year power purchase agreement, (PPA), with the City of Unalaska on August 31, 2020 for 30MW of geothermal produced electrical energy. 

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SLB Agrees to Create Geothermal Company (Rigzone)

 

Schlumberger New Energy, a new Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) business, and Thermal Energy Partners (TEP) have agreed to create STEP Energy; a geothermal project development company.

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$500,000 to Develop Fort Nelson Geothermal Prospects (Alaska Highway News)

 

The provincial government is granting the Fort Nelson First Nation $500,000 to continue developing its geothermal prospects in northeast B.C.

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Frontier Markets Turning to Geothermal Energy (Petroleum Economist)

 

In pursuit of alternatives to oil and gas production, certain developing countries are turning to the exploration and development of volcanically active hotspots.

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Start-up Aims to ‘Anchor’ Aberdeen in Geothermal Industry (Energy Voice)

 

Tech-Terra managing director and founder Brian Archer believes his newly created company can have a “meaningful impact on the energy transition”. His ambition is to “anchor” the Granite City in geothermal and “get oil and gas companies interested”.

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Why Attend the GRC 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting & Expo?

Click the video above to discover why you need to attend the GRC 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place on October 18 – 23. This year’s virtual meeting will deliver 6 days of content-rich technical sessions in an all-new, on-demand, fully-virtual experience. This is the must-attend event for professionals from all aspects of the geothermal industry to learn about the latest scientific advancements, hear the newest research, and seamlessly connect with other attendees representing industry, academia, NGOs and government institutions. 

Register Here

Geothermal Energy is Surging — Battered Oil and Gas Companies Should Take Advantage (Utility Dive)

Geothermal power plants currently account for a small portion of U.S. electricity generation, but a surge is underway. Three companies in January alone signed contracts to build new geothermal plants in California, spurred by the state's renewable-energy initiative, recent cost reductions, and the long-term value gained by geothermal's 24-7 electricity generation.

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Petrolern LLC Awarded D.O.E. Grant for Real-Time Subsurface Monitoring (Petrolern LLC)

Petrolern LLC, an Atlanta-based technology company, has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the United States Department of Energy (D.O.E.) to further develop and commercialize its state-of-the-art machine learning-based technology for real-time acquisition, compression, transmission, and processing of large subsurface datasets.

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Engie Team Targets Geothermal Innovation (Renews.biz)

Engie is working with Huisman Geo, EBN and TNO to investigate whether a new drilling technique can make the production of geothermal heat from thin earth layers economically feasible.

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Comments Sought on Potential Parcels for Geothermal Leasing (PV Times)

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public review of an Environmental Assessment for three parcels of public land nominated for lease in the Oct. 20 Competitive Online Geothermal Lease Sale. Read More

June 2020 GRC Bulletin

Read the Full June 2020 GRC Bulletin Here

Cyrq Energy Seeks Geothermal ‘Moonshot’ at Cascades Volcano (Bloomberg Law)

Cyrq Energy Inc. is seeking a geothermal energy “moonshot” on the slopes of Mt. Baker, a volcano in Washington State where the company hopes to refine drilling technology that could help spread geothermal power across the U.S.

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GRC 2020 Annual Meeting Goes Fully Virtual!

It is with great excitement that we announce an all-new, fully-virtual experience for GRC’s 2020 Annual Meeting & Expo! The meeting will take place on October 18 – 23, 2020 in an online, on-demand format that will allow attendees from around the globe to access the meeting’s robust technical program and network with other attendees and companies. For more details, please read this letter from the GRC President and Executive Director.

Message from the GRC Executive Director: June 2020

The geothermal industry can play a significant, and possibly even healing role, by offering solutions to some of these big-picture geopolitical circumstances.

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Geothermal Power Purchase Agreements on the Rise

Solar and wind power are on the rise, but what do populations do when the sun sets? The beginning of 2020 ushered in a wave of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for geothermal energy as a solution.
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Steamboat Hills Geothermal Power Plant Enhancement in Nevada Begins Commercial Operation (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)

Ormat Technologies Inc. announced that the enhancement of its Steamboat Hills geothermal power plant located near Reno, Nevada is complete and achieved commercial operation on June 6, 2020. 

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The Value of Geothermal in California

Alora Bartosz and Paul Thomsen from Ormat Technologies Inc. discuss geothermal's economic value over the life of long-term purchase agreements. The value remains competitive as California and the region move to higher penetrations of renewable energy.

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In Memoriam

G. Martin Booth, III, co-founder and President of Geothermal Development Associates (GDA) for nearly 41 years, has passed away at the age of 85.
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Sprinkled Like Paprika, The Thermal Waters of Hungary

Sue Hodgson gives a colorful, yet detailed account of the geothermal resources of Hungary -- from its history to the culture surrounding it, to how its people are utilizing it today.
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GRC and Earth Science Week

GRC has been asked to provide an additional 10,000 copies of our Geothermal Energy Educational Poster, to be included in this year's school educational packets, as part of the Earth Science Week Toolkit.

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Message from the GRC President: June 2020

We can’t erase COVID, feed all the world’s hungry, or quickly silence the vulgarities that apparently now pass for political speech. But we can stay true to our principles, do our jobs, be good to one another, and lead by example.

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Geothermal Energy Capacity Set for Strong Growth in Europe (Renewables Now)

Geothermal energy capacity, both for electricity and heating/cooling, is set for robust growth in Europe in the coming years if favourable policy framework is in place, according to a market report released earlier this week.

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MIT-Born Quaise Raises $6 Million in Round Led by the Engine to Access Geothermal Energy (Pulse 2.0)

Quaise, a company that is pioneering millimeter-wave drilling technology for accessing deep geothermal energy, announced it raised $6 million in a seed round of funding. This round of funding was led by The Engine — which is a venture firm that had spun out of MIT.

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The 2020 Annual Meeting Technical Program is Going to be Better than Ever!

With the deadline for submissions having closed on May 27, we received more than 150 papers and posters for the GRC Annual Meeting and Expo being held on October 18-21, 2020. These excellent submissions span a wide range of topics of interest to the global geothermal industry and renewable energy policymakers.

With major advances in Europe to use renewable resources for space heating, and the U.S. following closely behind, our hottest topic this year is direct use, district heating and heat pumps. To maintain equilibrium, the Superhot session will explore the other end of the temperature spectrum. We will explore these topics further in a panel discussion of pathways and policies toward the wider application of direct use geothermal heat, and a pre-conference short course on heat pump technology.

A first for this year, more than a dozen papers will discuss the use of machine learning in resource exploration and power plant operation. Exploration in Canada has really taken off in the last few years, and these results will be reported in the special session Geothermal in Canada – Moving Forward! A special session entitled Advanced Materials for Drilling and Completion will primarily explore advances in geothermal cement and cementing technology – does this spell the beginning of the end for the OG Portland cement?

Our special sessions will mix with our essential topics, including exploration and resource assessment, geology, geophysics and reservoir engineering, country updates for the U.S., Uganda, and Turkey, and some interesting finance and policy discussions.

Will Osborn

2020 Technical Program Co-Chair

Indonesia to Get $300M Loan for Two Geothermal Plants in Java (GCR)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will lend Indonesia $300m to help expand its geothermal power generation capacity by 110 megawatts in Java, the country’s largest electricity grid.

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Geothermal Industry Wants Piece of Green Deal Recovery Package (Renewables Now)

The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) has asked for the geothermal industry to be included in EU's Green Deal Recovery plan.

In a letter to Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president for the Green Deal, and Kadri Simson, Commissioner for Energy, the Belgium-based non-profit organisation said the package should encourage investment in all renewable energy sectors.

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May 2020 GRC Bulletin

Read the Full May 2020 GRC Bulletin Here

DJIBOUTI: AfDB Grants US$ 3.22 Million for Geothermal Project Around Lake Assal (Afrik21)

A geothermal exploitation project around Lake Assal is receiving US$ 3.22 million in financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The project will eventually produce 50 MWe in two phases.

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First Geothermal Independent Power Producer in Ethiopia (ESI Africa)

The African Development Bank has welcomed a decision by the Trust Fund Committee of the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), one of two funds within the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), to extend a $10 million concessional senior loan for the development of the 50MW Tulu Moyo Geothermal Power Plant project in Ethiopia.

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In Memoriam: GRC Remembers Two Members

Two members of the geothermal sciences and GRC community passed away early this year. GRC shares the legacies of John Wilson Pritchett, a pioneer geothermal scientist, and Constance "Connie" Parks-Karl, a champion of women's roles in male-dominated fields.

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Can the Fly Ash, Metakaolin and Silica Flour in Light-Wellbore Cement Slurries Prevent Alkali-Silica Reactivity of Glass Microspheres?

Cementing is a required process for drilling and completing any types of wellbores, those producing geo-fluids, or used for injection of waste fluids. The cementing process is completed by pumping the cement down through a casing string, then back up between the formation and casing where the cement forms bonds between the two and seals off fluid flow in this area. The hydrated cement slurries used in the wellbore construction are expected to maintain their integrity throughout the life span of the well, often at high temperatures and pressures as well as being exposed to geochemically aggressive fluids. Loss in cement integrity can lead to fluid migration through the cement, as well as structural issues that result in costly workovers during service life of the well, and would increase complexity of permanent plugging and abandonment of the well as well. 

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California Banks on Lithium Extraction and Geothermal Holds the Key

“California has the potential to be the leading supplier of lithium in the world,” said California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild. It’s a bold statement from the state level, but one that is backed by both a growing demand for the metal and the development of new geothermal extraction technologies.

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Transformational Change Comes to the Geothermal Resources Council

This industry magazine has been published since 1972, and has been a backbone of the geothermal industry. Since then it has been providing relevant news for our members, valuable technical articles, and information on the latest innovations in our industry. Over the years, the Bulletin has changed formats many times; though we moved away from a printed format two years ago, we are still continuing the tradition of informing our members, community, and public in the most accessible way.

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Successful Well Design and Remedial Cementing by Top Squeeze Method at Steamboat, NV, USA

Ormat drilled well 42A-32 in the Steamboat field in 2018 to support injection at its Steamboat complex. Injection well 42A-32 was drilled to replace existing injection well 42-32 in the Steamboat field. Geologic conditions present at the well location include an unconfined NCG (non-condensible gas) entrained steamzone above a highly fractured and permeable reservoir. Well 42-32 had issues with lost circulation, lack of cement returns on the intermediate casing string, and later during its operating life, the well had cement and casing corrosion requiring multiple scab liners. As a result, the well operated for less than 10 years.

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Growing Geothermal Industry in Canada Supported by Canadian Oil Service Sector (Hydrogen Fuel News)

The Canadian Oil Service Sector has teamed up to provide the growing geothermal industry in Canada with support through a new alliance. This alliance will promote development in this renewable energy and create jobs for former oil workers.

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Munich Taps into Geothermal Power to Widen District Cooling Grid (Recharge News)

Munich utility Stadtwerke München (SWM) is investing €80m ($87m) to expand its climate-friendly district cooling network with pipelines carrying cold air from a geothermal plant in the southern district of Sendling to a grid supplying inner-city clients.

The 20-kilometre-grid so far had been fed by the cold from underground streams and ground water in the area, and pushes down electricity consumption for cooling by 70%. SWM’s geothermal plants so far produce power and heat for the district heating system of Germany’s third-largest city.

The cold pipeline under the ‘Cool City 2.0’ plan from the Sendling geothermal plant to the inner city will be 5kms long and is expected to be built by the end of next year.

Read More Here

Global: Geothermal Magazine Now Available

GRC Bulletin - January/February 2020


GRC Bulletin - Vol. 49 No 1 - January February 2020 from Geothermal Resources Council

Global: Geothermal Magazine Now Available

GRC Bulletin - January/February 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Register Now!

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.

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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 

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.

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