Philippines: Preparations to Set Perforated Liners in Completed Well at Mabini Geothermal Project

Basic Energy, Phinma Energy, conduct tests for Mabini geothermal project (Power Philippines)

With drilling works now completed, Basic Energy Corp. and Phinma Energy Corp. are now determining resources at the Mabini geothermal project in Batangas.

The consortium has fulfilled its commitment with the Department of Energy (DOE) for completing the drilling works for Geothermal Service Contract No. 8.

Basic Energy said drilling reached the target depth of 1, 679 meters, and preparations to set perforated liners are being done.

“Testing of the well aimed at obtaining temperature, pressure, and permeability data, to be performed by its contractor, Scientific Drilling International (SDI), shall commence shortly,” the firm said.

Basic Energy senior vice president and general manager Anthony Cuaycong said completion tests will last up to three days and are intended to set baselines that will allow Basic Energy to assess the resources.

“After the completion test, there is a heat-up period of up to one and a half months, during which time surveys will be conducted to check well response after specific ‘rest’ periods,” Cuaycong said.

Pre-feasibility studies show that Service Contract no. 8, which covers 3, 841 hectares, can yield between 20 to 60 megawatts of power.

Read More.........

United Kingdom: Geothermal Heat Could Help Important Agricultural Area

Vale businesses could be heated using geothermal energy, study finds (Evesham Observer)

A groundbreaking study has been carried out in the Vale which could lead to homes and businesses being heated by geothermal energy.

The results of the study, led by Wychavon District Council, were published on Tuesday (February 7) and found there is ‘real potential’ to use natural heat from the Earth as a renewable source of energy in Worcestershire.

The research looked at heat use across the county – with public sector buildings and large scale business uses at the forefront of the study.

A key part of the study focused on geothermal heat in the south of the county, focusing particularly on how this might support growers in the Vale, especially in Offenham.

Offenham is home to a number of important horticultural companies who all use a substantial amount of heat to grow fruit and vegetables for supermarkets across the country.

It’s hoped harnessing the natural heat would meet the rising demand from growers in the Vale, whilst also providing a sustainable source of energy at the same time.

Read More........

Indonesia: Grant will Support Geothermal Energy Upstream Development Project

World Bank to give Indonesia $55m to develop geothermal energy (Bangkok Post)

The World Bank said Friday it will extend Indonesia a US$55.25 million grant to facilitate geothermal energy power plant development in the country, which aims to become the world's biggest geothermal producer.

The bank said in a statement that the grant will support Indonesia's Geothermal Energy Upstream Development Project and will mostly be used to fund infrastructure development and drilling exploration.

Production capacity is targeted to increase in stages from the current 1.6 GW to 7.2 GW by 2025, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Read More.......

USA: Geothermal Build Lags Behind That Of Other Renewables Due To Lack Of Policy Support - Report

Sustainable Energy in America Factbook (Bloomberg New Energy Finance)

The 2017 edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook – produced for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, provides up-to-date, accurate market information about the broad range of industries — energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy— that are contributing to the country’s move towards cleaner energy production and more efficient energy usage.

US geothermal build (MW)

The section on geothermal energy has the following observations:

• New US geothermal build lags behind that of other renewables due to long project completion periods (4-7 years), high costs of development, and lack of policy support. All this has contributed to a dearth of geothermal development, with no new projects commissioned in 2016. Further, only one project, Cyrq Energy’s Soda Lake 3, moved forward with development after awarding an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to Ormat.
• However, 2016 also brought new hope for the sector – the Bureau of Land Management auctioned off new geothermal land leases in Nevada, Utah and Oregon. In Nevada, 14 of 22 leases cleared – with Ormat snapping up the majority. In addition, a new lease was granted to develop capacity in California’s Salton Sea. These new leases for development could replenish the pipeline for geothermal projects in the US.
• The majority of activity has been from experiment with hybridization – the use of another technology alongside geothermal to enhance the overall performance of the plant. Two such facilities are operated by Enel Green Power North America, Inc. (EGP-NA). The first is at its triple-hybrid Stillwater plant in Nevada, where the company in 2015 commissioned a new solar thermal component that had been added to its existing photovoltaic and geothermal hybrid. The second project took place at EGP-NA's existing Cove Fort geothermal power plant in Utah, where the company in 2016 commissioned a hydroelectric generator newly added to an injection well.
• With the lack of additional projects moving forward, 2016 was the second year in a row without new asset financing for US geothermal projects.
• One project, Ormat’s Don A Campbell Phase II in Nevada, was refinanced in 2016. Ormat raised USD 44m in equity as Northleaf Capital Partners bought a 36.75% stake, and another USD 55m in debt from bond issuance.
• The US Department of Energy also awarded $29m for research into enhanced geothermal systems, which would use hydraulic fracturing to stimulate geothermal resources in areas which have less water, heat or permeability. Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Utah will undertake this research.

Read More........

USA, Texas: "We are excited about the opportunity to have geothermal as a part of our energy portfolio in this state."

Railroad Commission says it's ready for first geothermal power project in decades (San Antonio Business Journal)

Railroad Commission of
Texas Chair Christi Craddick

Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick spoke to the San Antonio Business Journal about the agency's readiness to review its first geothermal project in decades.

The Railroad Commission of Texas is ready to review plans for a proposed geothermal power project in South Texas, something the Lone Star State has not seen in decades, the agency's chairwoman said.

With one company hoping to build a refinery two hours south of San Antonio that runs entirely on geothermal power and uses carbon sequestration to send emissions deep underground, Railroad Commission Chairwoman told the Business Journal that the agency has prepared its staff to receive what could be their first geothermal permit application in years.

"We are excited about the opportunity to have geothermal as a part of our energy portfolio in this state," Craddick said. "I think it's a good opportunity for Texas."

U.S Department of Energy funded geothermal projects in the late 1970s, including a small power plant just southeast of Houston in Brazoria County that operated for several years. Under the Geothermal Resources Act of 1975, Texas state lawmakers placed the regulation of geothermal under the Railroad Commission. Because drilling is a large part of geothermal power, the Railroad Commission's oil and gas division will oversee any proposed projects for the clean power source. Craddick said one geologist assigned to the division has geothermal experience and will take the lead on the permitting process.

Read More........

Science & Technology: Adsorbent Material Extracts Commodities from Geothermal Brine

Featured R&D 100 Award Winner: U-Grabber (R & D Magazine)

The U-Grabber, created by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is a superior adsorbent material for the remediation of water and the extraction of commodities from traditionally difficult-to-mine sources, such as oceans, fly ash, mine-tailings ponds and geothermal brines, including fracking water. The innovative product was the winner of a 2016 R&D 100 Award.

The material is made from polyethylene fibers, similar to PVC, woven into braids and grafted with chains of a uranium-attractive chemical called amidoxine.

The adsorbent works by immobilizing (i.e., coordinating) metals on the highly grafted polymer. The use of metal coordination (i.e., grabbing the metal out of solution) allows U-Grabber to extract metals of interest from solutions where traditional adsorbents are cost prohibitive.

These solutions include high salinity solutions, such as geothermal brines, or high sulfate streams, which include some municipal water sources. 

Read More........

Mexico: Two Day Regional Geothermal Conference

Geothermal Congress For Latin America and the Caribbean

25-26 April, Mexico City, Mexico

Join us and our co-hosts The World Bank in Mexico City from April 25th-26th for GEOLAC 2017, the largest annual gathering of the Latin American and Caribbean geothermal market.

GEOLAC 2017 will explore prospects for regional geothermal development in an era of historically low renewable costs. Are governments valuing geothermal appropriately given its ability to deliver firm capacity? How do developers view the regional markets vs. geothermal markets world-wide? Which markets and which projects are making and breaking ground?

Read More........

Indonesia: Funding Provided for Muara Laboh Geothermal Power Project

Japanese lenders ink Indonesian geothermal deal (Global Trade Review)

Lenders led by Japanese financiers have extended US$440mn to a geothermal power project in Indonesia.

The co-financing was led by the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC), which has contributed US$198mn from its own book. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) then led a syndicate of commercial banks on the rest of the financing.

The syndicate was composed of BTMU, Mizuho and SMBC, with the commercial portion of the debt being covered by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (Nexi), a Japanese government-owned agency.

The finance will fund the Muara Laboh geothermal power project, being built by Supreme Energy Muara Laboh (SEML), an Indonesian subsidiary of Engie, the French power company. The project is in the South Solok area of West Sumatra. It will eventually have a generating capacity of 80MW, which will be sold to the state-owned power utility PT PLN over a 30-year period.

Read More........

USA: Energy Loan Guarantee Program Under Threat

Trump May Retrench Massive Energy Loans (Transmission and Distribution World)

President Donald Trump’s advisers have recommended the Energy Department freeze and consider ending a loan program that famously backed the failed solar panel maker Solyndra, according to two people familiar with the plan.

A memo prepared by Trump’s transition team for Energy secretary nominee Rick Perry calls for a halt to new loan guarantees while the department determines what should be done with more than $25 billion still available for use, the people said. That would give the administration time to determine whether the program, initially created in legislation signed by then-President George W. Bush, should be shut down entirely.

Either way, the Energy Department would continue to administer the $30 billion portfolio it has of existing loans and guarantees, according to the people who declined to be identified discussing the memo because it isn’t public. The aid has helped nuclear plants and wind farms, solar-panel fabricators and the geothermal industry. Brian Mahar, a spokesman for the loan programs office, declined to comment.

Read More.......

USA, California: Early-bird Deadline is 10 February for Workshop on Exploring Geothermal and Oil and Gas Synergies

SPE/GRC Workshop: High-Temperature and Corrosion in Drilling and Production - Exploring Geothermal and Oil and Gas Synergies

21-22 March, 2017, Courtyard Marriott Mission Valley San Diego, California, USA

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) have teamed up to develop a joint workshop bringing together researchers, engineers, and field technicians concerned with Upstream E&P, Corrosion and Scaling, and Geothermal Energy.


Exploring themes common to these related fields through case studies and applications, this event hopes to improve the ability to develop downhole resources safely and efficiently.

Early-bird Deadline: 10 February. Register Now........

Topics for discussion include:

• High temperature drilling techniques,
• Well completion technologies,
• Cements and casing materials for extreme conditions,
• Borehole measurement and reservoir characterization tools,
• Corrosion and scaling challenges - innovative chemical application,
• Optimized production equipment and conditions,
• Power generation options; processes and materials,
• Downstream scale control and mineral extraction techniques,
• Advances in H2S abatement,
• Reinjection well technologies.

More Information........

Switzerland: Attractive Feed-in-Tariffs for Geothermal Power Could be In Place by 2018

Switzerland plans incredibly attractive feed-in-tariffs for geothermal power (ThinkGeoEnergy)

Switzerland has just announced the likely most attractive feed-in-tariffs for geothermal power produced of up to $0.479/ kWh.

The new feed-in-tariffs are set at CHF 0.475/ kWh ($0.479/ kWh) for electricity from petrothermal geothermal production. The draft law still has to go through a popular vote, and if the vote is positive, the new law could enter into force in 2018.

On its website, the Swiss Geothermal Energy Association reports that the Swiss Federal Council has also issued regulations on the new energy legislation and the new CO2 law as part of the energy strategy 2050 for public consultation. This process will last until 8 May 2017.

Read More.........

Kenya: Project to Establish Industrial/ Heat Park Near the Menengai Geothermal Field

Request for Proposal - Provision of Pre-feasibility Study for Establishment of Industrial/ Heat Park Near the Menengai Geothermal Field

Tender No. GDC/DU/RFP/037/2016-2017

Tender closing date: 24/02/2017 

For efficient utilization of geothermal energy for direct use applications, and to ensure economic viability of the projects, GDC plans to undertake a pre-feasibility study to assess the viability of and requirements of setting up an industrial/heat park near the Menengai geothermal project where both electrical and thermal energy will be availed. GDC wishes to engage a reputable company/consortium to undertake the study.

Notice (PDF)........              Entire Tender Document (PDF)........

USA, California: Student Internships at The Geysers for Summer of 2017

Calpine Geysers Internships

(Courtesy Calpine)

Calpine has announced student internships at The Geysers for Summer of 2017. The application deadline is March 31, 2017, but students are encouraged to apply ASAP as qualified students could be contacted before the deadline. Internships are only open to students attending schools in the United States. Click on the links below for a description, requirements and how to apply.

• Performance Engineering Intern (PDF)
• Chemical Engineering Intern (PDF)
• Geothermal Production Analysis Engineer Intern (PDF)
• Process Engineering Intern (PDF)
• Geoscience Intern (PDF) 

Additional Notes:

• Qualified candidates must be a student during time of internship (Calpine cannot accept applicants who are graduating in May 2017)
• Calpine cannot accept students who will require sponsorship.
• Summer 2017 Internship (May/June Start Dates, August/September End Dates) – Can be flexible based on student schedule.

If you have any questions about the internships, please contact Sam Escalante at samantha.escalante@calpine.com.

USA, Hawaii: Geothermal Energy Session and Fieldtrip - Submit Abstracts by February 14

2017 Geological Society of America Cordilleran Section

23–25 May 2017, Honolulu, Hawai‘i USA

We invite you to submit your contributed presentation(s) to:

T14: Advances in Geothermal Resource Investigations, convened by Pete Stelling, Nick Hinz, Nicole Lautze and Garrett Ito

Description: Exploration, development and support of geothermal energy is entering a period of resurgence in the western U.S. and around the world.  We welcome contributions pertaining to any geothermal and hydrothermal location or topic, including exploration updates, technological breakthroughs, modeling results and more. 

You may submit as many abstracts as you like by the deadline of 14 February 2017. Submit abstracts online.

There is also a field trip associated with this session: 

5. Structural Geology and Geothermal Energy of Kīlauea Volcano, Island of Hawai‘i. 

Cost: US$242. Min 11, max 18. 8 a.m. Sat., 20 May to 4:30 p.m. Sun. 21 May.

Stephen Martel, Univ. of Hawai‘i, smartel@hawaii.edu; Nicole Lautze, Univ. of Hawai‘i, nlautze@higp.hawaii.edu; Peter Drakos, Ormat Technologies Inc., pdrakos@ormat.com

Description: This trip will provide an overview of Kīlauea’s structure and activity, particularly how they relate to geothermal energy. We will visit a geothermal power plant as well as rift zone faults and pit craters. This 2-day trip will depart from the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel (island of Hawai‘i) at 7:45 am on Saturday May 20, and return to the hotel by 4:30 pm on Sunday May 21. Participants will be responsible for their own airfare and reservations to and from Hilo, lodging in Hilo, breakfasts, and dinners. Lunches will be provided.

More information........

France: Geothermal Energy Sessions at Geochemistry Conference

Goldschmidt 2017

13-18 August, Le Palais des Congrès de Paris

Goldschmidt is the foremost annual, international conference on geochemistry and related subjects, organised by the European Association of Geochemistry and the Geochemical Society. 

There are two sessions related to geothermal energy:

• 19e: Geochemistry of the Subsurface – CO2 Sequestration, Unconventional Oil & Gas Extraction, Geothermal Reservoirs - John Loring, Pascale Bénézeth, Cong Chen, Weizhong Li.
• 19h: Geothermal Systems: From Reservoir Characterisation to Sustainable Energy Utilization - Thomas Neumann, Thorsten Schäfer, Jill Robinson - Haizlip, Fusun Tut-Haklidir.

Abstract Deadline is April 1st                    More Information........

Hungary: Győr Geothermal Project Supplies 100 GWh to Audi Factory

Even greener future for Audi Hungaria's heat (News Release)

The Audi factory in Győr (Courtesy Audi Hungaria)

Audi Hungaria is the largest industrial geothermal energy user in Hungary: since its conversion to green energy, the volume of the company's geothermal energy consumption has grown to 100 GWh, which so far has reduced carbon dioxide emission by 20,170 tons.

Two years ago, the company placed its energy supply on brand new foundations, and since November 2015 renewable geothermal energy has been supplied by the Heating Center of Bőny. Within the framework of the Geothermal Project of Győr, Audi Hungaria has entered into a long-term heat energy supply agreement for the provision of geothermal energy to the company's Győr site with PannErgy Plc's subsidiary, DD Energy Ltd. This cooperation has been forged for 17 years, and can be optionally extended for an additional period of 15 years.

Read More........

Indonesia: Loan will Help Purchase Chevron’s Geothermal Assets

Star Energy drills for $660m in senior syndication (GlobalCapital)

Star Energy Geothermal has enlisted three lenders for a $660m dual tranche loan that will go partly towards funding the company’s purchase of a stake in Chevron’s Indonesian assets.

Credit Suisse, DBS and Maybank are arranging the facility and have pre-funded a portion of the money ahead of senior syndication, according to a banker. The mandated lead arranger and bookrunner title is also available to new lenders for commitments of $100m or more.

Read More (Subscription)........

United Kingdom: Promising Geothermal Resource in North East England

Geothermal exploration in the Fell Sandstone Formation (Mississippian) beneath the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: the Newcastle Science Central Deep Geothermal Borehole (NERC)

Map of NE England showing the principal geological features and selected deep boreholes. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2016. Geological data are from the British Geological Survey DiGMapGB © NERC 2015

The postulate that geothermal energy might be recoverable from strata laterally equivalent to the Fell Sandstone Formation (Carboniferous: Mississippian) beneath Newcastle upon Tyne has been examined by the drilling and testing of the 1821 m deep Newcastle Science Central Deep Geothermal Borehole.

This proved 376.5 m of Fell Sandstone Formation below 1400 m, much of which resembled braided river deposits found at outcrop, although some lower portions were reddened and yielded grains of aeolian affinity.

Downhole logging after attainment of thermal equilibrium proved a temperature of 73°C at 1740 m, and allowed estimation of heat flow at about 88 mW m−2. This relatively high value probably reflects deep convective transfer of heat over a distance of >8 km from the North Pennine Batholith, along the Ninety Fathom Fault.

Younger, Paul L.; Manning, David A.C.; Millward, David; Busby, Jonathan P.; Jones, Charles R.C.; Gluyas, Jonathan G.. 2016 Geothermal exploration in the Fell Sandstone Formation (Mississippian) beneath the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: the Newcastle Science Central Deep Geothermal Borehole. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 49 (4). 350-363. 10.1144/qjegh2016-053

Global: Calendar of Geothermal Energy Events

Geothermal Energy Calendar of Events (GRC)

Stanford Geothermal Workshop
13-15 February, Stanford, California, USA
https://pangea.stanford.edu/researchgroups/geothermal/stanford-geothermal-workshop

GeoTHERM - Expo & Congress
14-16 February, Offenburg, Germany
www.geotherm-germany.com/

Workshop on Geothermal Energy in High-Temperature Sedimentary Basins (SEDHEAT)
Workshop fostering the basic science and engineering of geothermal energy in high-temperature sedimentary basins
1-4 March, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
www.linkedin.com/company/sedheat

8th European Geothermal PhD Day
1-3 March, Bochum, Germany
www.geothermie-zentrum.de/egpd2017.html

International Geothermal Forum - GEA
7 March, Washington D.C., USA
http:// geo-energy.org

ICVGE 2017: 9th International Conference on Volcanology and Geothermal Energy 
11-12 March, Dubai, UAE
http://waset.org/conference/2017/03/dubai/ICVGE

Imperial Valley Renewable Energy Summit 
15-17 March, Holtville, California, USA
http://ivres.ivedc.com/

Workshop: High-Temperature and Corrosion in Drilling and Production: Exploring Geothermal and Oil and Gas Synergies(Society of Petroleum Engineers & Geothermal Resources Council)
21-22 March Courtyard Marriott Mission Valley, San Diego, California, USA
www.spe.org/events/en/2017/workshop/17jsnd/about.html

6th ITB International Geothermal Workshop
22-23 March, Bandung, Indonesia
http://geothermal.itb.ac.id/workshop2017/

6th Annual Conference for the Development and Utilization of Geothermal Energy
26-29 March, Beijing China
https://geothermal.org/PDFs/CUGB-Call-for-Paper-2017.pdf

24th Annual Congress of the Mexican Geothermal Association (AGM)
28-30 March, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
www.geotermia.org.mx/geotermia/?page_id=1131

Mexican Geothermal Opportunities Workshop
4 April, Institute of the Americas, La Jolla, California, USA
www.iamericas.org

Euroheat & Power Congress 
14-17 May, Glasgow, United Kingdom
www.ehpcongress.org/

Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Short Course (IGA)
15-19 May, Bochum, Germany
www.geothermal-energy.org/iga_academy/courses.html

GeoEnergi 2017
22– 23 May, Bergen, Norway
http://cmr.no/courses-and-events/10688/geoenergi-2017/

IGC Turkey 2017 
23-24 May, Izmir/ Turkey
http://igc-turkey.com

Clean Power for the South Pacific Conference 2017 
7-11 August, Vanua Levu, Fiji
www.geothermalcities.com/en/

Praxisforum Geothermie
11-12 September, Munich, Germany
www.praxisforum-geothermie.bayern/en

DGK 2017 - Der Geothermiekongress 2017
12-14 September, Munich, Germany
www.geothermie.de

41st GRC Annual Meeting &GEA GeoExpo+
1-4 October, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
https://geothermal.org/meet-new.html

United Kingdom: Scottish Government Acknowledges Potential Crossover of Skilled Employment Opportunities in Developing the Geothermal Industry

Geothermal energy could be new ‘black gold’ for unemployed oil workers (Energy Voice)

MSP Gillian Martin 

Geothermal energy could be the new ‘black gold’ for out-of-work oil and gas workers, a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) has claimed.

Gillian Martin said many of the skills that offshore workers pick up in their profession would transfer from the traditional energy sector to helping harness the natural heat stored in the ground.

The Aberdeenshire East MSP said it was crucial to find jobs for the tens of thousands of skilled oil workers who have been made redundant since the oil price plunged two years ago.

“The potential for geothermal energy in the region is already known. It is important we identify the potential opportunities for our energy security.

Read More.........

Indonesia: "The clauses are so biased, they could hamper geothermal exploration." - INAGA chairman

Electricity Price Rule May Hamper Geothermal Exploration: INAGA (Tempo.co)

The Indonesian Geothermal Association (INAGA) is disappointed with the Energy Ministry's regulation No.12/2017 on the use of new renewable energy for electricity. INAGA fears that the rule will hamper efforts to discover geothermal reserves.

"The clauses are so biased, they could hamper geothermal exploration," INAGA chairman Abadi Purnomo said on Sunday, February 5.

Abadi said the 11 clauses govern that a geothermal SPA can only be signed once the developer has proven reserves, which requires exploration that costs US$8 million-US$10 million per well.

"Who would want to pay for the explorations? And businesses will not take risks of drilling wells if there is no guarantee someone will buy the electricity," he said.

Read More.........

USA, Idaho: U.S. Geothermal Inc. Gives an Update

Update on Development and Expansion Projects (News Release)

U.S. Geothermal Inc. has provided an update on its development and expansion projects.

• Drilling and Flow Testing at San Emidio Significantly Expands Resource
• Reservoir Testing and Modeling at Raft River Yield Potential to Add 1-3 Megawatts of Production
• Conditional Use Permit Received for WGP Geysers
• Drilling and Flow Testing at El Ceibillo Confirms Commercial Resource

“During 2016 we were able to advance many of our development projects”, said Dennis Gilles, Chief Executive Officer, “Through a combination of an excellent pipeline of projects and a favorable legislative environment, we believe that we will improve our year-over-year performance and advance the Company to achieve our 2021 goal of over 200 MWs.

Read More........

Commonwealth of Dominica: More Funding Promised for Laudat Geothermal Plant

Dominica Government claims it will soon secure EC$44M to establish a Geothermal Plant at Laudat (WICE)

The Government of Dominica claims that it is close to meeting its goal of securing EC$44M for the establishment of a Geothermal Plant in Laudat.

That’s the word from Vince Henderson, Chairman of the Government of Dominica Geothermal Energy Development & Negotiations Team.

Henderson disclosed that to date, the Government of Dominica has already secured $33M.

Read More........

Education: $15,000 in Educational Awards for Students in the Global Geothermal Energy Community

2017 Geothermal Resources Council Scholarships Announced (News Release)

Total of $15,000 in educational awards to be given to six students in the global geothermal energy community

Some of the winners of the GRC Scholarships in 2016. From left to right: Gudni Rosenkjaer, Jeff Cullen, Erin Camp, and Jon Golla

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), a non-profit educational association dedicated to the promotion of geothermal energy and associated technologies around the world, is pleased to announce the availability of the 2017 GRC Scholarship Awards.

To qualify for one of these awards a student must be a GRC member (student memberships are only $5 per year) as well as be a student in an accredited academic institution. Selection of recipients will be based upon a variety of factors, including the individual’s academic record, student activities, geothermal industry experience, and career goals.

The following awards are available:

• Two (2) GRC Undergraduate Scholarship Awards of $1,500 – to be eligible for one of these awards, the candidate must be a third or fourth year undergraduate majoring in engineering or geosciences at the time of the award (Fall 2017). 
• Three (3) GRC Graduate Scholarship Awards of $2,500 – to be eligible for one of these awards, the candidate must be enrolled in a graduate-level program in engineering or geosciences at the time of the award (Fall 2017). 
• One (1) Student Geothermal Project Award of $4,500 – selection of recipient will be based primarily upon the creation and description of a geothermal-focused project, though other factors such as the individual’s academic record, student activities, geothermal industry experience, and career goals will factor into the determination as well. The project can represent a variety of academic subjects, including, but not limited to, geosciences, engineering, and economics. The primary requirement is that the project be focused on some aspect of geothermal power production, geothermal direct use applications or geothermal heat pumps. 

Applications must be received by May 5, 2017 to be considered.
For application instructions and other details see the announcement on the GRC website at: www.geothermal.org/students.html

Please direct questions regarding the scholarship awards to: Brian Schmidt, bschmidt@geothermal.org or 530-758-2360, ext. 107

USA, California: Important Regional Renewable Energy Conference

10th Annual Imperial Valley Renewable Energy Summit (IVEDC)

March 15-17, 2017, Imperial Palms Hotel & Resort, Holtville, California, USA

Costa Rica: Construction of Las Pailas II Geothermal Project is Currently at 54%

Las Pailas II in Costa Rica will be the most modern geothermal plant in the region (The Costa Rica Star)

Pipeline in Las Pailas I. by Paul Moya. Two phase pipeline coming to the separation station at Las Pailas I, Costa Rica. Photo was taken in July 2011. GRC Photo Contest 2016.

The Costa Rica Electricity Institute (ICE) has said that the Las Pailas II Geothermal project, currently under development and expected to be ready by 2019, will be the most modern geothermal plant in Central America and the Caribbean.

“It is the first geothermal plant in the region that will have a cooling tower made of reinforced fiber glass, all its wells will be drilled with directional technique and it will produce electricity with just one last generation Japanese turbine” stated the press release.

According to the construction coordinator of Las Pailas II, Didier Ugalde, in previous projects the cooling towers have been built in concrete and wood, but never in fiber glass; this new element reduces the investment in the project, it brings down the costs of operation and it benefits the environment, explained Ugalde.

The project is currently at a 54%, the construction of the cooling tower of five cells began in January. The machine room will take up less space than the ones already operating in the country, a world trend in the design of geothermal projects, for in this area they will use a light concrete panel system to improve the sound isolation of the equipment.

Read More.........

USA, California: Meeting for Women in Geothermal before Stanford Workshop

Women in Geothermal - Meeting in California

Education: PhD Project To Provide New Insight Into Nature of Magma-Geothermal Interfaces

Fluid and heat flow at the magma-geothermal interface (Lancaster University)

Deadline for Applications: Tue 28 February 2017

Funding Type: Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Supervisors: Hugh Tuffen and Jennie Gilbert (Lancaster University), Mike Heap (Strasbourg), Fabian Wadsworth (Munich)

Shallow underground magma represents both a significant hazard and a near-limitless heat source. In 2009 a geothermal borehole at Krafla volcano in Iceland accidentally intercepted shallow rhyolitic magma. This has stimulated intense interest in the potential for magma drilling to extract powerful geothermal energy and directly monitor restless volcanoes. However, the nature of the interface between magma and geothermal systems remains enigmatic, restricting our knowledge of the safety and sustainability of magma drilling.

This PhD project will provide new insight into the nature of magma-geothermal interfaces, via extensive fieldwork in Iceland combined with laboratory analysis and modelling. Fossil silicic intrusions will be characterised, employing techniques such as quantitative textural analysis, mapping of H2O in glasses, and permeability measurement. Results will lead to published papers that constrain the timescale and temperature of fluid-magma interactions, the permeability evolution of magma interacting with external fluids, and present new conceptual models of interface processes.

More information.......                Apply Online........

Science & Technology: Many Aspects in the Planning of Geothermal Energy Projects Draw on the Same Expertise as the Oil and Gas Industry

Argument for Geothermal and Oil and Gas Cooperation (Vallourec)

#FridayFunfact: many aspects in the planning of #geothermal energy projects draw on the same expertise as the #oilandgas industry pic.twitter.com/PRi3WKyhV3

— Vallourec (@Vallourec) February 3, 2017

Science & Technology: Concentrating Solar Power Can Boost Geothermal Plant Power Generation - Paper

Solar Field Optical Characterization at Stillwater Geothermal/Solar Hybrid Plant (Solar Energy Engineering)

Guangdong Zhu (GRC Member) and Craig Turchi, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado

Concentrating solar power (CSP) can provide additional thermal energy to boost geothermal plant power generation. For a newly constructed solar field at a geothermal power plant site, it is critical to properly characterize its performance so that the prediction of thermal power generation can be derived to develop an optimum operating strategy for a hybrid system. 

In the past, laboratory characterization of a solar collector has often extended into the solar field performance model and has been used to predict the actual solar field performance, disregarding realistic impacting factors. 

In this work, an extensive measurement on mirror slope error and receiver position error has been performed in the field by using the optical characterization tool called distant observer (DO). Combining a solar reflectance sampling procedure, a newly developed solar characterization program called firstoptic and public software for annual performance modeling called system advisor model (SAM), a comprehensive solar field optical characterization has been conducted, thus allowing for an informed prediction of solar field annual performance. 

The paper illustrates this detailed solar field optical characterization procedure and demonstrates how the results help to quantify an appropriate tracking-correction strategy to improve solar field performance. In particular, it is found that an appropriate tracking-offset algorithm can improve the solar field performance by about 15%. 

The work here provides a valuable reference for the growing CSP industry.

J. Sol. Energy Eng 139(3), 031002 (Jan 27, 2017) (10 pages)

Paper No: SOL-16-1342; doi: 10.1115/1.4035518

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USA, California: Geothermal Energy Could Help Save the Salton Sea

Breaking Point Official Trailer (Vimeo)

Trailer for a documentary on the disastrous consequences of the continuing shrinking of the Salton Sea in Southern California. Development of geothermal projects on the exposed playa could help pay for urgent remediation projects.  


Breaking Point Official Trailer from Palomar TV on Vimeo.

The worst environmental disaster in US history is quickly approaching, yet very little is being done to stop it. A casualty of the "water wars" in the Southwest, California's largest lake is disappearing. The receding Salton Sea reveals a toxic mix of fine dust and chemicals that is threatening the health of millions. The Salton Sea has reached its breaking point, and time is running out.
More information at breakingpointdoc.com/

Global: "Geothermal is posed to grow by leaps and bounds" - U.S. GEA

2017 Outlook: Geothermal Is Trending Upwards (Renewable Energy World)

International geothermal nameplate capacity under development as of September 2016. Source: GEA & Allie Nelson.

Geothermal is posed to grow by leaps and bounds internationally in the coming years, with rapid growth in countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kenya, all rich in geothermal resources. 

Major players involve investment banks like JICA and the IADB, who are teaming up with countries with untapped geothermal energy like Chile to diversify their national energy portfolios and meet the Paris Climate Agreement goals of significantly lowering the global output of CO2 in coming decades. 

Countries like Kenya and Indonesia have set frameworks in place and target goals of geothermal development to be achieved in the coming years, providing a significant portion of electricity as these countries go green.

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Iceland: Geothermal Energy Will Make it Possible to Drive Around the Island

About 200 Charging Stations Planned in Iceland (IcelandReview)

The owners of electric cars should be energized by the news that there are plans for about 200 charging stations to be built in Iceland in the next three years, RÚV reports. A lack of charging stations has prevented electric cars from becoming popular in the country.

Today, there are 13 charging stations in Iceland, all of them operated by Orka náttúrunnar. Six of those are in the capital area, the others in Reykjanesbær, Akranes, Borgarnes, Selfoss and by Hellisheiði Geothermal Plant.

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Indonesia: First Three Wells At Sorik Marapi Project Close to Completion

KS Orka Sorik Marapi Indonesia - First Steam! (LinkedIn)

Eiríkur Bragason, CEO at KS Orka

The first three wells in the Sorik Marapi project in Indonesia are close to completed. The first initial well testing of A-101 this morning was successful and confirms the estimated output of the first well.

Chile: Potential for Up to 3,500 MW of Geothermal Energy

Geotermia: Una Oportunidad Para Chile - Geothermal - An Opportunity for Chile (ACERA)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

El potencial geotérmico en Chile es de 2,440 a 3,500 MW, pero actualmente tiene 0 MW en operación. Cerro Pabellón se llama el proyecto geotérmico más avanzando en el país, el cual comenzaría su operación en marzo de 2017. El Ministerio de Energía creó una mesa de trabajo para conversar sobre el potencial y las oportunidades de la Geotermia en el país.

The geothermal potential in Chile is 2,440 to 3,500 MW, but currently has 0 MW in operation. Cerro Pabellón is the most advanced geothermal project in the country, slated to begin its operation in March 2017. The Ministry of Energy hosted a workshop to discuss the potential and opportunities of Geothermal in the country.

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

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Indonesia: New PPA Regulation Proving Controversial

Bankability Concerns Over New Generation of Indonesian Power Purchase Agreements (Lexology)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The Indonesian power sector has to date been the most successful of the infrastructure sectors in attracting private sector investment, and debt financing from both international and domestic lenders. The State power utility, PT PLN (Persero), has since the very early private sector power generation projects of the 1990s developed a robust and bankable Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) model for large scale power projects. Whilst there have been the inevitable tweaks to the PPA model over the past 20 years (coming from both the PLN side of the negotiation table as well as the developer/lender side), the model for large scale power projects remains today a solid one, and one that is able to mobilise private sector equity and debt funding.

Recent flagship projects that demonstrate the success of the current PPA model include the Sarulla Geothermal Project and many others.

However the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources on 19 January 2017 issued Regulation No. 10/2017 on Principles of Power Purchase Agreements (MEMR Reg. 10), which, for the first time in any material way, seeks to impose certain requirements as to what provisions must be built into PPAs in the power sector.

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Europe: Nominations for Top Continental Geothermal Award

The top 5 Companies in Geothermal Innovation of 2017 (EGEC)

The five endorsed nominations for this year’s European Geothermal Innovation Award are, in alphabetical order:

• enOware GmbH (Germany), for the measurement systems to plan, monitor and measure near-surface geothermal probes;
• HakaGerodur AG (Switzerland), for the pressure-resistant borehole heat exchanger (BHE) for difficult geological conditions and applications up to 300m.
• Huisman Well Technology BV (The Netherlands), for the application of the Enhanced Casing Installation (ECI) system in a geothermal well.
• Jansen AG (Switzerland), for the JANSEN shark technology, which reduces the flow resistance in the pipe and results in less pumping power.
• SWM Services GmbH (Germany), for the project to provide 100% renewable energy for the district heating of Munich, including a major contribution by geothermal energy.

The Jury will now deliberate to select an overall winner which will be announced on 15th February at the GeoTHERM expo & congress in Offenburg (Germany).

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Italy: Deep Drilling Reveals Caldera Collapse Was Smaller Than What Scientists Expected

Deep Drilling Reveals Puzzling History of Campi Flegrei Caldera (EOS)

The base of the drilling rig operating at the former steel factory in Bagnoli, Naples, used for the Campi Flegrei Deep Drilling Project. In the foreground are the drill pipes after use. Credit: Claudio Serio

To get an accurate understanding of the caldera, De Natale et al. turned to scientific drilling. The Campi Flegrei Deep Drilling Project (CFDDP) drilled to a depth of 501 meters in western Naples, the morphological limit of Campi Flegrei caldera.

Drilling gives scientists a precise view into the deep structures of the caldera, its geothermal characteristics, and its magma chemistry. All these can reveal clues to how the caldera formed. The researchers took samples from different depths of the drill site and measured argon isotopes periodically so that they could estimate the age of various layers.

Citation: Branscombe, A. (2017), Deep drilling reveals puzzling history of Campi Flegrei caldera, Eos, 98, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017EO067075. Published on 01 February 2017.

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

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Honduras: Possible Commercial Operation of Platanares Geothermal Power Plant by the End of the Year

Geothermal plant in advanced stages of construction (New Energy Events)

Construction of the Platanares geothermal power plant in Honduras is at an advanced stage, according to the advisor to the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP ), Solomon Ordonez, and as reported by Honduran newspaper La Tribuna.

This will be the first geothermal power plant to operate in Honduras. It is expected to start operating this year. The $200 million geothermal project – inclusive of Honduran and foreign capital – is located in the municipality of La Union, department of Copán, in western Honduras.

More stories on Platanares geothermal power plant from Global Geothermal News.......

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USA, New Mexico: 5,000 Meter Borehole Project Will Provide New Drilling and Testing Techniques for Geothermal Energy Applications

DOSECC to Help Determine Viability of Deep Borehole Waste Storage (News Release)

DOSECC Exploration Services, a global drilling company and subsurface technology firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah, announced today that they, as part of a team led by Enercon Federal Services, Inc., were awarded a contract by the US Department of Energy to evaluate the scientific and technical aspects of drilling deep, large diameter boreholes in crystalline rock for the safe and effective disposal of waste. The project will be conducted near the town of Nara Visa, New Mexico. DOSECC will be partnering with Enercon Federal Services, Wastren Advantage and Fugro.

The scientific drilling and data collection itself will not likely commence until the spring of 2018, once the DOE determines the most promising site where a successful community partnership has been established. When the drilling portion begins, the scientific drilling team will be tasked with drilling a 5000-meter deep borehole 8-3/4” in diameter. If successful, a second borehole, 17” in diameter, would be drilled to the same depth at the same site. The data gathered will allow scientists to study the type and temperature of the rock as well as the nature and chemistry of the fluids encountered.

Marc Eckels, DOSECC Program Director for this project explains that the data gained from this uniquely deep geological research has potential for other local and societal benefits, such as providing new drilling and testing techniques for geothermal energy applications.

DOSECC Exploration Services will be exhibiting at the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GeoExpo+ in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA from October 1-4.

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France: Drilling at Alsace Geothermal Project to Begin in June

Vallourec will equip a geothermal site in France with its premium tubes and connections (News Release)

French company Vallourec has won a new contract for unconventional geothermal energy (deep wells, high temperatures) to deliver premium oil country tubular goods (OCTG)  products for exploring underground reserves in France.

Vallourec will assist Fonroche Géothermie, the leading French company in high temperature geothermal energy, in the exploration phase for underground reserves in Alsace (East of France), on the site of the former Reichstett refinery (municipality of Vendenheim) and the Eckbolsheim site.

The project will consist of two to four wells drilled in doublets (one injection well and one production well) for between 1700 and 3400 tons of semi-premium and premium tubes and connections, including the VAM® 21TM, the highest performing connection on the premium market to date. The drilling of the first well is expected to begin in June 2017. If results are positive, production will start soon thereafter at the wells.

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USA, California: Workshop on Exploring Geothermal and Oil and Gas Synergies in Corrosion and Scaling

SPE/GRC Workshop: High-Temperature and Corrosion in Drilling and Production - Exploring Geothermal and Oil and Gas Synergies

21-22 March, 2017, Courtyard Marriott Mission Valley San Diego, California, USA

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) have teamed up to develop a joint workshop bringing together researchers, engineers, and field technicians concerned with Upstream E&P, Corrosion and Scaling, and Geothermal Energy.

Exploring themes common to these related fields through case studies and applications, this event hopes to improve the ability to develop downhole resources safely and efficiently.

Early-bird Deadline: 10 February. Register Now........

Topics for discussion include:

• High temperature drilling techniques,
• Well completion technologies,
• Cements and casing materials for extreme conditions,
• Borehole measurement and reservoir characterization tools,
• Corrosion and scaling challenges - innovative chemical application,
• Optimized production equipment and conditions,
• Power generation options; processes and materials,
• Downstream scale control and mineral extraction techniques,
• Advances in H2S abatement,
• Reinjection well technologies.

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Union of the Comoros: Potential for 40-45 MW Geothermal Energy Capacity at Karthala

Comoros: Karthala Geothermal Project looks promising (ESI Africa)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

A recent study has concluded that the Karthala Geothermal Project on the Comoros Islands off the coast of Africa, presents favourable conditions of the exploitation of high-temperature geothermal energy to power generation.

Studies imply a potential for 40-45 MW electricity generation capacity, Think Geoenergy reported. From the Karthala volcano, the country benefits exploitable geothermal resources for electricity generation, media reported.

Not only did the study confirm the commercial opportunities of the untapped thermal resource, it highlighted the significant impact it would have on driving economic growth and development.

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Caribbean: Finance and Government Policy are the Main Challenges to Geothermal Energy development in the Region

OECS supports Geothermal Energy Development (News Release)

Financing and government policy have been identified as the major challenges to the development of geothermal energy in the Eastern Caribbean. That’s one of the findings of a Survey conducted by the Energy Unit of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission. The Survey gathered the views of 86 persons involved in geothermal energy, half of whom were based in the OECS Region.

There was clear consensus amongst all survey participants that finance and government policy are the main challenges to geothermal energy development in the region. These were followed closely by competition from other energy sources, and technological issues.

The majority of survey participants would like to see the establishment of a regional mechanism to support geothermal development in the region. The geothermal stakeholders are convinced that such a mechanism would be beneficial to the industry, especially as it relates to policy, legislation, and regulations.

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Europe: Geothermal News from EGEC

The EGEC Newsletter January 2017 - The Voice of Geothermal in Europe

The December issue of the EGEC Newsletter is now available.
Click here to download it. In this issue:

Editorial

• A word from the EGEC President: EGEC upcoming news and dossiers, DG ETIP activities

Policy

• European Commission approves new support scheme in France
• Innovation Fund: Commission launched a stakeholder consultation
• Commission publishes guidance for the cost-effective introduction of individual metering and billing in buildings with multiple residents

News

• Vacancy IGA Executive Director
• ADB backing clean energy investments in Shaanxi, China, with potential benefits to geothermal
• ENGIE wins geothermal heating project contract in Bordeaux, France
• Enel Green Power wins auction for a 20 MW geothermal project in Tuscany, Italy
• Collaboration agreement between Enel Green Power and COSVIG for testing the use of geothermal resources in algae production
• New report on EGS Permeability Stimulation
• IEA’s Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report 2016 increases renewable growth forecast
• IRENA Report on the potential across South East Europe for cost-competitive renewable power generation
• Mission Innovation launches the “Affordable Heating and Cooling of Buildings Innovation Challenge”

Projects

• FROnT: Result oriented final report
• Deep Geothermal ETIP: Draft Agenda of the next meeting and General Assembly

Global: 14,165 MW of Geothermal Energy in Development

Overview on installed geothermal power generation capacity worldwide (ThinkGeoEnergy Research)

Today, 24 countries are producing geothermal power with a combined installed power generation capacity of 13,270 MW. With an additional aprox. 14,165 MW in development, that number could more than double in the coming years.

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Indonesia: Pertamina Backs Geothermal Energy With More Investment

Pertamina Invests US$12 Billion to Develop Geothermal Power Plants (Netralnews)

Pertamina Geothermal Energy, a subsidiary of state oil and gas firm Pertamina, is investing US$12 billion to build geothermal power plants with a combined capacity of 2,267 megawatts until 2025.

"Through Pertamina Geothermal Energy, we hope we could contribute about 31 percent to all geothermal power plants in 2025," Pertamina Vice President for Corporate Communication Wianda Pusponegoro said in a discussion on clean energy here on Tuesday.

Wianda stated that Pertamina Geothermal Energy was developing renewable energy to reduce the country's dependence on fossil energy in stages. The company has completed 11 geothermal projects in six different places in Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi islands.

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USA, Washington D.C. - Vacancy as Geothermal Program Analyst

Geothermal Program Analyst at KeyLogic Systems, Inc. - Washington, DC

KeyLogic Systems is recruiting a Mid-Level Geothermal Program Analyst to support the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO).  The GTO researches, develops, and validates innovative and cost-competitive technologies and tools to locate, access, and develop geothermal resources in the United States. This position will provide direct support to DOE's Hydrothermal team.

The Geothermal Program Analyst will provide comprehensive technical energy analysis of geothermal and hydrothermal issues and support the GTO in planning and management of applied research and development programs in the geothermal space.  The position will assist the DOE personnel with the development of technical analyses needed for program planning meetings and other industry liaison work.  As directed by the DOE Program Staff, this position will develop analytic tasks that provide technical background, data compilations, or straw-man technical proposals for the Office.  This position will develop papers and presentations to assist the DOE Staff in the communication of technical and program knowledge both within DOE and external to outside stakeholders.  The Program may also require analytical support that includes market research and analysis, financial  analysis (budgets, spend plans, and development of annual operating plans) and modeling, policy analysis, and economic analysis.

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Iceland: IDDP Reaches 427°C at 4,659 Meters - A Geothermal Energy Milestone

The drilling of the Iceland Deep Drilling Project geothermal well at Reykjanes has been successfully completed (News Release)

A significant milestone has been reached in the Iceland Deep Drilling Project at the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland when drilling of the IDDP-2 well was completed on  the 25th of January at 4,659 meters depth.

All of the initial targets were reached. These targets were to drill deep, extract drill cores, measure the temperature and search for permeability. Temperature at the bottom of the well has already been measured at 427°C, with fluid pressure of 340 bars, drill cores were retrieved, and the rocks appear to be permeable at depth.

It´s clear that the bottom of the well reached fluids at supercritical conditions, so that the main drilling phase objective of the project has been achieved. The drilling operation took 176 days since we began the drilling operation 11th August 2016.

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