Canada: Potential for Geothermal Energy in Alberta - New Report

Northern Alberta Geothermal Potential Mapping Report (NADC)

In December 2017, the Northern Alberta Development Council (NADC) provided grant funding to the Alberta Community and Co-Operative Association (ACCA) to conduct a feasibility study on the geothermal energy potential in northern Alberta. ACCA contracted Terrapin Geothermics Inc. to conduct a high-level geothermal resource evaluation for a representative sampling of 42 northern Alberta communities.

The project created location-specific research reports that provide high-level technical overviews of geothermal resource potential, considering both the potential temperatures to be found and unique geological considerations in the targeted communities.The research identifies three types of potentially viable projects: power production, direct use, or direct heat.

Findings from the report include 42 northern Alberta communities demonstrate potential for geothermal activities; 31 northern Alberta communities have suitable temperatures and basic geological factors to support further investigation into direct use opportunities; and, 12 northern Alberta communities contain suitable temperatures and geological factors to support further investigation into power generation.

The information has potential to identify further exploration and development in northern Alberta, and could inform future feasibility and early investment decisions. Download the report.........

Read More.........

Indonesia: 8th ITB International Geothermal Workshop 2019 is This Week!

Register Now for IIGW 2019!

20-21 March, 2019
8th ITB International Geothermal Workshop 2019
Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia

Workshop Agenda ~ Pre and Mid Workshop Courses ~ Field Trip ~ Field Camp ~ Registration ~ Hotels Nearby

Kenya: Single Geothermal Wells With a Capacity of 30 MW or More!

Whose is bigger – KenGen’s or GDC’s? (Energy Siren)

Well Cleanout, by Piyush Bakane,
Olkaria, summer 2017.
GRC Photo Contest 2017.

Power producers KenGen and Geothermal Development Company (GDC) are locked in a supremacy tussle with both laying claim to a geothermal energy title, too lofty and glittering to cede.

The government-owned companies each claim their geothermal wells are the largest in Kenya and in Africa. Analysts have cited the rivalry as healthy and one that points the country in the right direction in the quest to growing its stock of green energy.

KenGen, in showcasing its milestones, claimed its single most productive well in Naivasha’s Olkaria steamfields is the largest in Africa and among the top five globally with a capacity to produce 30 megawatts (MW) of geothermal electricity.

KenGen’s wonder well, known as Olkaria OW-921, was sunk five years ago at a depth of 3km underneath the ground.

On the other hand, the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) holds that the Africa title goes to its Well 1A at Menengai fields in Nakuru, since its capacity of 30.6 MW is slightly higher than KenGen’s best performing well at 30 MW.

At 30 MW, Kenya’s best performing steam wells are not far behind from the world’s best drilled in Indonesia and California with up to 40 MW per well.

Read More........

Education: $14,000 in Educational Awards Announced by Geothermal Resources Council

Geothermal Resources Council Announces Scholarships (News Release)

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

John Grill, Estefanía Ramírez Restrepo and Yuran Zhang
received their awards at last year's GRC Annual Meeting & Expo

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) is pleased to announce the availability of the 2019 GRC Scholarship Awards.

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

The following awards are available:

• Five (5) Marcelo Lippmann Graduate Scholarship Awards of $2500 – to be eligible for one of these awards, the candidate must be enrolled in a graduate-level program at an accredited academic institution at the time of the award (Fall 2019). If selected, each recipient is required to submit a paper on his/her research (or research progress) to be published in the GRC Transactions and deliver results at the meeting as either a poster or oral presentation. If the recipient presents in the year of the award then the full $2500 is awarded at that time; if the recipient defers to present/publish the following year then $750 is withheld until the following year when the recipient presents.
• Three (3) GRC Undergraduate Scholarship Awards of $500  – to be eligible for one of these awards, the candidate must be a third or fourth year undergraduate at an accredited academic institution at the time of the award (Fall 2019). 

Applications must be received by May 24, 2019 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. 104

Geothermal Energy News from Around the World

Global Geothermal News - Weekly Update (Geothermal Resources Council)

A round-up of this week's international geothermal energy news.......

Click on the links below to view the whole story and other news on Global Geothermal News.

USA: BLM Removes Sage Grouse Protections in West

Trump Administration Slashes Sage Grouse Protections (Center for Biological Diversity)

The Trump administration released final land-management plans today that wipe out critical protections for imperiled greater sage grouse in seven western states. The new plans ― covering millions of acres of public land in Colorado, northeastern California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming ― allow enormous new loopholes for fossil-fuel development that conservation groups say will doom the bird to extinction.

The new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans unravel greater sage-grouse protections approved in 2015 by western states and federal officials. That Obama-era agreement was intended to reverse the bird’s decline and prevent the need to list it as endangered. Among other things, the new plans will allow the BLM to lease hundreds of thousands of acres of high-priority sage-grouse habitat for oil and gas drilling. They also eliminate science-based habitat standards for grazing in sage-grouse habitat and make it easier for BLM officials to waive protective buffers around sage-grouse mating and nesting areas, called leks.

Read More.........

United Kingdom: One Day Workshop on UK Geoenergy Observatories Project

NERC UK Geoenergy Observatories project - Innovation event (News Release)

3 June 2019, Technology Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

The workshop will be focused on the innovation requirements to underpin the development of geothermal energy resources in the UK. Delivering a UK-wide geothermal resource into the energy system requires cross-sector collaboration and innovation.

Opportunities range from deep geothermal to shallow mine-water geothermal and require innovation in a wide range of fields: from heat resource characterisation, site investigation, design of engineering infrastructure, construction and maintenance of facilities, sensors for better control of the geosphere-engineering hardware system and stronger regulatory compliance to data analytics and innovation in public engagement. Register........

More Information.........

Norway: Wells to be Drilled to 1500 Meters for Geothermal District Heating Project

Her skal det bores 1.500 meter for å hente ut varme til politiets beredskapssenter - Here, 1,500 meters will be drilled to extract heat for the police emergency response center (Bygg)

Varmen fra 1.500 meters dype energibrønner skal brukes til snøsmelting av helikopterplasser, gatevarme og oppvarming av en innendørs skytebane på politiets nye beredskapssenter.

– Det er bare andre gang man går så dypt i Norge. Det er gjort en gang tidligere på Gardermoen, og for å få dette til tids- og kostnadsmessig har vi tatt i bruk en spesiell boremetode med trykkluft. Hammerslag gjør borearbeidene både rimeligere og raskere sammenlignet med rotasjonsboring, sier Per Daniel Pedersen som er byggherrens faglige leder for VVS i det omfattende byggeprosjektet.

(From Google Translate) The heat from 1,500 meter deep wells will be used for snow melting of helicopter spaces, street heating and heating of an indoor shooting range at the police's new emergency response center.

- It's only the second time to go so deep in Norway. It has been done once before at Gardermoen, and to get this in time and at cost, we have adopted a special drilling method with compressed air. Hammer strokes makes drilling work both cheaper and faster compared to rotary drilling, says Per Daniel Pedersen who is the builder's professional manager for plumbing in the extensive construction project.

Les mer...........                   Read More........

Netherlands: Important to Utilize Each Source of Geothermal Heat to the Maximum in Urban Areas

Large scale subsurface heat storage is complementary to geothermal energy (KWR)

Dr. Ir. Martin Bloemendal During His Presentation at the DAP Symposium
(Foto Credit: Beerd Volkers).

One key issue in the energy transition is to deal with availability and demand of heat. In urban areas demand is concentrated at a small area as well as during a short time frame: during the winter. Because sustainable sources of heat are scarce and geothermal is hard to implement in urban areas it is important to utilize each source of heat to the maximum. Aquifer thermal energy storage can provide this load-shifting. 

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

USA, Idaho: City of Boise Plans to Expand Use of Geothermal Energy

Boise set to vote on goal of the entire city powered by renewable energy by 2040 (Idaho Press-Tribune)

The City of Boise posts plaques on the buildings
around town that use geothermal energy.

After first floating the idea at the end of 2018, Boise City Council has decided to vote next month on setting a goal of having the entire city powered by renewable energy by 2040. Even though the goal is ambitious, city officials say it’s attainable by using energy efficiency and existing renewable resources, along with advocating for new sources of energy.

The draft plan laying out how the city is going to tackle the problem is available on the city’s website and will be open for public comment during the regular council meeting on April 2.

The City of Boise operates the largest direct-use geothermal system in the country. Boise's geothermal resource is unique and already serves a portion of the community’s buildings with renewable energy for space heating, water heating, and sidewalk snow melt.

The City utility plans to further expand the existing infrastructure and the amount of geothermal water that it can deliver into the future. Expanding the geothermal district opens the door to incorporating additional buildings as well as the potential for new and innovative renewable and waste heat resources.

To ensure the geothermal resource remains renewable, the City must continue to monitor the capacity and replenishment of the aquifer that provides the geothermal resource. If the aquifer remains at acceptable levels, the City plans to continue to apply for water rights and expand the geothermal system by 10 to 15 million gallons per year. Currently, there is good potential to add additional customers to the existing piping.

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

New Zealand: Proposed Innovation and Enterprise Park Would Expand Use of Geothermal Resource

Ngawha Innovation Park Gets PGF Funding For Feasibility Study (Sharechat.co.nz)

Top Energy’s Ngawha power station
(Courtesy Top Energy)

Backers of an innovation and enterprise park proposed near Kaikohe will receive $890,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund to test the feasibility of the concept.

Te Tai Tokerau MP and deputy leader of the Labour Party Kelvin Davis, says the project has the potential to make better use of the region’s natural resources.

The project is being promoted by Far North District Council. Its commercial arm, Far North Holdings, was cleared to buy the 165-hectare site from local network company Top Energy last year.

The land, currently used for dairy farming, lies east of Kaikohe and over the northern part of the Ngawha geothermal field.

The latest proposal will test whether the site’s geothermal resource can be used to help develop higher-value product lines from existing businesses in the region, such as honey and horticulture.

If the geothermal option is viable, it could potentially be used for heating glasshouses or powering cool stores. Cheaper electricity supplies are expected to be available from Top Energy’s Ngawha power station to the south.

Other funding announced today included a $1.79 million investment in the redevelopment of the nearby Te Waiariki Ngawha geothermal springs.

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

Spain: Potential for Geothermal Energy in Canary Islands

Hay geotermia suficiente en Gran Canaria como para generar electricidad - There is enough geothermal energy in Gran Canaria to generate electricity (Energias Renovables)

La primera fase del estudio impulsado por el Cabildo para conocer el potencial geotérmico de Gran Canaria sostiene que en el subsuelo existen aguas subterráneas a 150 grados, esto es, geotermia de media entalpía. Según la institución insular, la confirmación definitiva de esa información llegará con las catas de 2,5 kilómetros de profundidad que darán por terminado este estudio de exploración geotérmica (la geotermia de media entalpía permite producir electricidad por medio de centrales de ciclos binarios que funcionan a partir de aguas a 105 grados).

(From Google Translate) The first phase of the study promoted by the Cabildo to understand the geothermal potential of Gran Canaria, maintains that in the subsoil there is underground water at 150 degrees [Celsius], that is, geothermal at half enthalpy. According to the institution, the definitive confirmation of this information will come with the 2.5-kilometer-deep wells that will complete this geothermal exploration study (medium enthalpy geothermal will make it possible to produce electricity through binary cycle power plants that operate with water at 105 degrees).

Lee mas.........                                 Read More........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Tuesday, February 13, 2018 - Spain: Potential of Geothermal Energy to Power ​Canary Islands
• Wednesday, December 6, 2017 - Spain: Government of Canary Islands Needs to Step Up Support for Geothermal Exploration
• Tuesday, March 27, 2012 - Spain: Petratherm Carries out Magnetotelluric Survey to Map out Canary Islands Geothermal Potential

USA: Enel Transfers Ownership of Geothermal Power Plants Within Group

Enel acquired 650 MW of renewable capacity from its U.S. joint venture EGPNA REP (News Release)

Salt Wells Geothermal Power Plant in Nevada.
Photo by Ian Crawford. GRC Field Trip 2015.

Today, Enel S.p.A., acting through its renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power North America Inc. (EGPNA), finalised the acquisition of 100% of seven fully operational renewable plants totalling 650 MW from Enel Green Power North America Renewable Energy Partners, LLC, an equally owned joint venture between EGPNA and GE Capital’s Energy Financial Services, the energy investing arm of General Electric. The overall consideration paid for the transaction amounts to approximately 256 million US dollars, for an enterprise value equal to around 900 million US dollars.

The assets under the transaction, which are all managed and operated by EGPNA, include the following geothermal plants:

• The 25 MW Cove Fort geothermal plant in Utah;
• The Salt Wells geothermal plant in Nevada, of 13.4 MW;
• The Stillwater geothermal-solar facility in Nevada, of 59.5 MW

In line with the Group’s 2019-2021 Strategic Plan, this transaction aims to increase Enel’s consolidated capacity in the key US market, extracting more value through full ownership of assets that use strategic renewable technologies. 

Read More........

Geothermal Event - Call For (Draft) Papers for GRC Annual Meeting - Deadline is Today

GRC Annual Meeting 2019 - Call for Papers

Deadline for submission of papers is today Friday, March 15th, 2019.

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) has issued a call for papers for the world’s biggest annual geothermal energy conference of the year taking place September 15-18, 2019, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, California, USA. The 43rd GRC Annual Meeting & Expo will highlight Geothermal: Green Energy for the Long Run - as a clean, dependable renewable energy, geothermal energy offers a long-term solution for the supply of low-carbon emission electricity.

The GRC Annual Meeting 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, and numerous networking opportunities.

Global: Calendar of Geothermal Energy Events

Geothermal Energy Calendar from the Geothermal Resources Council

8th ITB International Geothermal Workshop 2019

20-21 March, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
http://geothermal.itb.ac.id/

2nd Meeting On Geothermal/ Thermal Uses (ATI - UGI - AIRU)

21 March, Milan, Italy
https://www.eventbrite.it/e/biglietti-2-incontro-sulla-geotermia-gli-usi-termici-51071324707

The Eighth Annual Conference for the Development and Utilization of Deep Geothermal Energy (CUGB) 

26-28 March, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
https://geothermal.org/pdfs/CUGB-Call-for-Paper-2019.docx

IGC Invest Geothermal

28 March, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
www.investgeothermal.com/

AAPG 3rd Hydrocarbon – Geothermal Cross Over Technology Workshop

9-10 April, Geneva, Switzerland
www.aapg.org/

XXVI Mexican Geothermal Association (AGM) Annual Congress

10-12 April 10, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
http://geotermia.org.mx/congreso-agm/

EAGE/DGMK Joint Workshop on Deep Geothermal Energy - Underground Storage of Hydrogen 

24 April, Celle, Germany
https://events.eage.org/en/2019/eage-dgmk-joint-workshop-on-deep-geothermal-energy

12th Imperial Valley Renewable Energy Summit (Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation)

24-26 April, Imperial, California, USA
www.ivedc.com/events/imperial-valley-renewable-energy-summit-2019/

39th Euroheat & Power Congress

6-8 May, Nantes, France
https://www.ehpcongress.org/

IGC Islands Geothermal Conference

15-16 May, Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal
www.igc-islands.com/

EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition 2019

3-6 June, London, UK
https://events.eage.org/2019/eage-annual-2019

National Geothermal Academy 2019

10-21 June, Reno, Nevada, USA
https://gbcge.org/education/

European Geothermal Congress 2019 (EGEC) 

11-14 June, The Hague, Netherlands
http://europeangeothermalcongress.eu/

Geothermal Resources in Sedimentary Basins Conference

14-18 October, 2019, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
http://gssb2019.com/

GeoEnergy Days (Pole Avenia)

25-27 June, Pau, France
http://www.geoenergydays.com/

6th Geothermal Congress for Latin America and the Caribbean (GEOLAC)

16-18 July, Santiago, Chile
http://newenergyevents.com/geolac/

7th Indonesia International Geothermal Convention and Exhibition (IIGCE)

13-15 August, Jakarta Convention Center, Indonesia
http://www.iigce.com/

3rd International Geothermal Conference GEOHEAT 

3-6 September, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russian Federation
http://www.igc-geoheat.com/

1st Conference on Geophysics for Geothermal and Renewable Energy Storage

8-12 September, The Hague, Netherlands
https://events.eage.org/en/2019/near-surface-2019/conferences/1st-conference-on-geophysics-for-geothermal-and-renewable-energy-storage

43rd GRC Annual Meeting & Expo

15-18 September, Palm Springs, California, USA
www.geothermal.org/meet-new.html

Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern

7-9 October, Munich, Germany
www.praxisforum-geothermie.bayern/en

IGC Turkey Geothermal Congress & Expo

6-8 November, Izmir, Turkey
https://www.igc-turkey.com/

Der Geothermiekongress 2019

19-22. November, Munich, Germany
https://www.der-geothermiekongress.de/kongress-2019/der-geothermiekongress.html

41th New Zealand Geothermal Workshop (NZGW) 

25-27 November, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
https://nzgeothermal.org.nz/

World Geothermal Congress 2020

27 April - 1 May 2020, Reykjavik, Iceland
www.wgc2020.com/

44th GRC Annual Meeting & Expo 

18-21 October 2020, Reno, Nevada, USA
www.geothermal.org/meet-new.html

Germany: Opportunity to Bid on Hallstadt Geothermal Power Plant Construction Project

Hallstadt: Geothermal Power Plant Construction (Bids Info)

This is an open tender to do construction work on a geothermal power plant in Hallstadt, a town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg

Deadline: 30th April

• Test boring work
• Geothermal power station construction work
• Coiled-tubing wellwork

More Information........

Canada: Shell Oil to Support Closed-Loop Conduction-Only Geothermal Energy Project

Eavor demonstrates a disruptive and novel solution to many of the challenges that face geothermal energy production (News Release)

Eavor Technologies Inc. has announced Shell International Exploration and Production, via its New Energies Research & Technology program, has signed an agreement to join a field trial of Eavor’s disruptive new closed-loop conduction-only geothermal energy solution (Eavor-Loop™). As part of the agreement, Shell will provide technical expertise towards the design of the drilling, completion, and facility construction of Eavor’s demonstration project (Eavor-Lite™), as well as a follow-on commercial implementation.

(Video 3:30 Minutes)

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Monday, November 19, 2018 - Science & Technology: An Innovative Closed-Loop Geothermal Power System from Canada

Costa Rica: Wildlife Relocated from Around Las Pailas II Geothermal Project

ICE ha rescatado más de 700 animales en Proyecto Geotérmico Las Pailas II
 - ICE has rescued more than 700 animals at the Las Pailas II Geothermal Project (El País)

El Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), informó que ha rescatado más de 700 animales en el Proyecto Geotérmico Las Pailas II, en Liberia, Guanacaste, desde 2013 hasta la fecha.

Este campo geotérmico –donde está ubicado este Proyecto y la Planta Geotérmica Las Pailas I– colinda con el Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja, una zona natural de gran diversidad.

(From Google Translate) The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), reported that it has rescued more than 700 animals at the  Las Pailas II Geothermal Project, in Liberia, Guanacaste, from 2013 to date.

This geothermal field -where this Project is located and the Las Pailas I Geothermal Plant- is adjacent to the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, a natural area of ​​great diversity.

Lee mas.........                        Read More........

USA, Oregon: State Funding Available for Renewable Energy Projects

Oregon Department of Energy Announces $2.75 Million In Available Grant Funding For Renewable Energy Projects (News Release)

Applications are due by April 22, 2019.

The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for its Renewable Energy Development Grant program. ODOE has approximately $2.75 million available for projects that generate renewable energy in Oregon.

Qualified systems must produce electrical energy from a renewable resource such as biomass, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, landfill gas, biogas, or wave, tidal, or ocean thermal energy. Grants are capped at $250,000 per system and may not exceed 35 percent of the project cost.

ODOE uses a two-tier system for the competitive grants, so similarly-sized projects compete together. The agency will allocate about $1.5 million in RED Grant funds to projects sized up to 300 kilowatts (AC). Another $1.25 million will be allocated to projects greater than 300 kilowatts (AC).

Read More.........

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

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

Sweden: Geothermal Heat Power Investment Company Issues Green Bond

Baseload Capital issues green bond of SEK 500 million (News Release)

Baseload Capital has issued its first green bond. In total, SEK 500 million has been raised to finance low temperature geothermal heat power globally.

Baseload Capital has issued a SEK denominated senior secured green bond under its green bond framework. The bond is the first one in Sweden focused on low temperature geothermal heat power.

The proceeds from the bond will be used to invest in and develop low temperature Heat Power plants in specific markets. Heat Power plants generate renewable electricity from heat 24/7.

~~~~~~
Baseload Capital is a project investment firm that provides capital to develop geothermal energy power plants using technology developed by its Swedish parent company, Climeon.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Monday, March 4, 2019 - Sweden: Billionaires Invest in Climeon Geothermal Heat Power Modules
• Friday, November 16, 2018 - Sweden: Geothermal Heat Power Investment Company to Announce Green Bond
• Wednesday, January 10, 2018 - Sweden: Geothermal Energy Firm Creates Project Financing Company

USA, California: Controlled Thermal Resources Updates on Hell's Kitchen Lithium - Geothermal Project

Update from Controlled Thermal Resources

Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) has released an update on the Hell’s Kitchen Lithium project combining established rapid lithium extraction technology and geothermal power.

Finance Update

KPMG officially launched Hell's Kitchen to investors in mid-February and has since entered into initial discussions with potential financial and offtake partners. Early interest is exceptionally strong with the core project team (including KPMG, HATCH, Adionics and CTR) busy responding to early due diligence questions and requests.

HATCH is on schedule to complete the project's Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) in mid-May which is expected to generate further interest and activity. Until negotiations with financial partners are finalised, CTR will continue to raise equity through its existing investor network.

Technology and Engineering Update

Major advancements were achieved this month as CTR activated Stage Two of the Rapid Lithium Extraction process design and development. CTR is working closely with Adionics in conjunction with HATCH to further optimize design for maximum performance and cost efficiencies.

HATCH is overseeing the process and has so far suggested CAPEX savings of over US$100 million along with significant OPEX savings.

Also, in a world-first, CTR, EnergySource, and Western Falcon Energy Services are working together to develop the first PEEK-lined pipe for application in geothermal operations.  PEEK (Polyether ether ketone) is a material that is resistant to corrosion and scale build-up, and can be manufactured at a low cost.

The prototype lined spool was successfully manufactured in March this year and will be placed into service at EnergySource’s facility to the east of CTR’s Hell’s Kitchen site.  The implementation of PEEK-lined pipe into the project has the potential to save tens of millions of dollars by replacing expensive alloy pipe.

This is the first time in the world PEEK has been built to this size and run in a geothermal operation.

More Information........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - USA, California: Combined 275 MW Geothermal Power and Lithium Manufacturing Plant Project Announced
• Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - USA, California: Controlled Thermal Resources Announces Partnership to Produce Lithium at Hell's Kitchen Geothermal Project
• Monday, February 13, 2017 - USA, California: Drilling at Hell's Kitchen Geothermal Power Project Could Begin in May
• Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - USA, California: More Details of Proposed 750 MW Geothermal Energy / Lithium Mining Project at Salton Sea

Germany: Employment Opportunity as Chair of Geo­thermal Energy Sys­tems

Uni­versity Pro­fessor - chair of “Geo­thermal Energy Sys­tems” (GFZ Potsdam)

Location: GFZ Potsdam, Charlottenburg, Berlin
Closing date for applications: 8th April

We are seek­ing highly qual­i­fied applic­ants with proven research exper­i­ence in geo­thermal energy sys­tems. This includes explor­a­tion and access of geo­thermal resources and devel­op­ment of sus­tain­able tech­no­lo­gies for their util­iz­a­tion.

The pro­fess­or­ship is expec­ted to con­trib­ute to major research areas of the top­ics “Geor­e­sources” and “Geoen­ergy” using a com­pet­it­ive infra­struc­ture. Par­ti­cip­a­tion in exist­ing depart­mental research both at GFZ and at TU Ber­lin and the setup of new major sci­ence pro­jects is anti­cip­ated.

More Information and apply........

Geothermal Event - Call For (Draft) Papers for GRC Annual Meeting - Deadline is This Week!

GRC Annual Meeting 2019 - Call for Papers

Deadline for submission of papers is this Friday, March 15th, 2019.

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) has issued a call for papers for the world’s biggest annual geothermal energy conference of the year taking place September 15-18, 2019, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, California, USA. The 43rd GRC Annual Meeting & Expo will highlight Geothermal: Green Energy for the Long Run - as a clean, dependable renewable energy, geothermal energy offers a long-term solution for the supply of low-carbon emission electricity.

The GRC Annual Meeting 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, and numerous networking opportunities.

USA: Appropriation Budget for Geothermal Technologies Office - Call for Action by GRC

GRC Recommends Appropriation Budget for Geothermal Technologies Office

A message from Dr. William Pettitt, Executive Director, Geothermal Resources Council:

“Letters stating our budget requests for FY2020 were proliferated to House and Senate appropriations staffers by the GRC Policy Committee last week. Our requests are far more likely to be honored if individual member offices submit them too as part of their packages of requests.

To that end, we ask that GRC members with relationships in Congressional offices share these with their Members of Congress or Members/Senators that represent locations where you have a major project presence.

Requests to Member offices are due by next Friday, March 15, but some office deadlines are a little earlier so ideally should get them as soon as possible. If any members would like further information on how to help then please get in touch with us at icrawford@geothermal.org.”

Click through below for the Letter to Appropriators and the FY 2020 Appropriations Request.

United Kingdom: Employment Opportunity as Energy Decarbonisation Geologist

Vacancy - Energy Decarbonisation Geologist - UKRI – NERC – BGS

Location: Keyworth, Nottingham, U.K.
Salary: £24,435 to £26,560 per annum
Closing date for receipt of applications is 14 April 2019

The British Geological Survey (BGS) has an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and experienced deep sub-surface geologist to join the Decarbonisation Challenge Team based at our headquarters in Keyworth in Nottingham.

About the role BGS has a well established reputation for international research excellence in Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS). This post will be based within the CCS Team but the successful candidate will work across the full Decarbonisation Challenge, developing skills in areas such as compressed air energy storage and geothermal research. You will be expected to interpret geophysical and petrophysical data as part of a 3D geological model building workflow. As such, you will be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of structural geology and have experience in geophysical data interpretation.

More Information.........

New Zealand: 28 MW Ngāwhā Geothermal Power Plant Extension Should be Operational By the End of Next Year

Ngāwhā Geothermal Power Station Expansion update (Top Energy NZ)

The Ngāwhā geothermal power station expansion should be operational by the end of 2020

Top Energy NZ, the electricity generation and lines company in the Far North of NZ , is expanding its Ngāwhā geothermal power station near Kaikohe. This is one of the largest construction projects to be undertaken in the Far North to improve the resilience and reliability of the local power supply.

(Video 3:26 Minutes)

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Monday, September 24, 2018 - New Zealand: Testing Begins at 28 MW Ngāwhā Geothermal Power Plant Extension Project
• Thursday, May 10, 2018 - New Zealand: Drilling for 25 MW Extension of Ngāwhā Geothermal Power Station to Resume
• Monday, December 11, 2017 - New Zealand: 28 MW Expansion of Ngawha Geothermal Power Station to be Completed by 2021
• Thursday, May 16, 2013 - New Zealand: Ngawha's Geothermal Power Plant Expansion Promises Economic Boost

Iceland: Climeon Geothermal "Heatpower" Plant in Fludir Two Months from Launch

First geothermal site approved by customer (News Release)

Swedish company Climeon has received its first geothermal site approval from Varmaorka. Kopsvatn 1, outside Fludir, it is the first geothermal power plant that uses Climeon’s Heat Power system. Varmaorka has now approved the site through a Site Acceptance Test (SAT).

The Site Acceptance Test also marks the start of a two-month testing period before complete site hand-over. For two months Climeon and Varmaorka will evaluate the continuous operation of the power plant. After this period, Climeon will do a final site hand-over to Varmaorka, meaning that the power plant will have taken about twelve months from groundbreaking to hand-over.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Wednesday, November 14, 2018 - Iceland: First Electricity at Climeon Geothermal "Heatpower" Plant in Fludir
• Tuesday, June 26, 2018 - Iceland: Another 97 Heat Power Modules Ordered from Climeon
• Friday, February 23, 2018 - Iceland: Delivery of 15 MW of Geothermal Power Modules Will Begin Soon

Science & Technology: Assessing Geopressured-Geothermal Resources in Sedimentary Basin Plays

A Methodology for Assessing the Favourability of Geopressured-Geothermal Systems in Sedimentary Basin Plays: A Case Study in Abruzzo (Italy) (Hindawi)

by Alessandro Santilano, et al

We exploit the concept of the geothermal favourability, widely used for hydrothermal and EGS systems, to present an innovative methodology for assessing geopressured-geothermal resources occurring in terrigenous units in sedimentary basin plays.

Flow diagram of the hybrid power system for the
trigeneration from geopressured-geothermal resources

Geopressured-geothermal systems are an unconventional resource for power trigeneration exploiting three forms of energy from hydrocarbons, hydrothermal fluids, and well-head overpressure.

This paper is intended to be a practical analytical framework for the systematic integration of the relevant data required to assess geopressured-geothermal resources. For this purpose, innovative parameters were also implemented in the methodology. The final result is the favourability map for identifying prospective areas to be further investigated for the appraisal of the geopressured-geothermal potential.

We applied our methodology to the foredeep-foreland domains of the Apennines thrust belt in the Abruzzo region (central Italy). We analysed hundreds of deep hydrocarbon wells in order to create 3D geological and thermo-fluid dynamic models at a regional scale as well as to obtain information on the pressure regimes and on the chemistry of the system.

The final favourability map for the Abruzzo case study is a first attempt at ranking these kinds of unconventional geothermal resources in a region that has been historically explored and exploited mostly for hydrocarbons.

Read More........

Geofluids, Volume 2019, Article ID 4503943, 28 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/4503943

Science & Technology: Analyzing Drill Cores in Geothermal Systems

Mapping Alteration In Geothermal Drill Core Using a Field Portable Spectroradiometer (Malvern Panalytical)

This paper, by long time ASD customer Wendy Calvin, describes how an ASD FieldSpec®spectroradiometer has been used to analyze drill cores in geothermal systems. These types of drill holes are typically used in early-stage geothermal exploration and help to locate geothermal resources for energy generation (see the paper’s introduction section for a good summary of the application). While in this case a FieldSpec was used, this would be a better fit for an ASD TerraSpec® 4 plus TSG™ software or an ASD TerraSpec Halo. Here is the abstract:

Hydrothermal alteration mineralogy in geothermal systems is commonly used to infer system temperature and past fluid flow patterns. (Near) Infrared spectroscopy is particularly good at identifying a wide variety of hydrothermal alteration minerals. The technique requires little sample preparation, and is especially helpful in discrimination among a wide range of phyllosilicate minerals that may be difficult to distinguish in hand sample or require lengthy preparation for XRD analysis. We have performed several pilot studies of geothermal drill core and chips to prototype rapid alteration characterization over large depths. These preliminary studies have established reliable methods for core/chip surveys that can quickly measure samples with high depth resolution and show the efficiency of the technique to sample frequently and provide alteration logs similar to geophysical logs. We have successfully identified a wide variety of phyllosilicates, zeolites, opal, calcite, iron oxides, and hydroxides, and note depth-associated changes in alteration minerals, patterns, or zones. Alteration mineralogy identified using these techniques shows good correlation with traditional petrographic microscope and XRD method.

Read the full paper here: Mapping alteration in geothermal drill core using a field portable spectroradiometer

Kenya: 165.4 MW Olkaria V Geothermal Power Plant to be Commissioned in June

KenGen will commission Olkaria V geothermal power plant in June 2019 (AFRIK 21)

Kenya will soon have a new geothermal power plant. It is Olkaria V, located in the Rift Valley in the west of the country. Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), Kenya’s largest energy producer and owner of the project, has announced that the plant will be commissioned by June 2019.

The facility, which produces electricity from steam, will provide 165 MW. Energy that will then be sold to Kenya Power (KPLC), the company that provides the electricity utility. Construction of the geothermal power plant began in January 2017. The project has received support from Japan.

Read More.........

Canada: Conference on Development of Geothermal Resources in Sedimentary Basins

Geothermal Resources in Sedimentary Basins Conference

14-18 October, 2019, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

The University of Alberta Geothermal Research Group has announced that it will be hosting a conference in Oct. 2019 which includes a field excursion in the Rocky Mountains, the conference, and short courses. The keynote speaker is University of Reno Nevada professor Dr. Jim Faulds.

This conference is a “multidisciplinary meeting dedicated to sharing knowledge and insight into the development of geothermal resources in sedimentary basins worldwide.

Topics to include: science, geology, engineering, policy, regulation, and social license issues. We solicit participation from academics, government, and industry in all countries, in the form of oral and poster presentations, panel discussions, and field trips.”

 More Information.........

Belgium: Geothermal Energy Could be Big in Belgium!

La géothermie: une énergie souterraine dont commence à profiter la Belgique
 - Geothermal energy: an underground energy that starts to benefit Belgium (RTBF)

(Video 6:52 Minutes)

La Belgique reste aujourd’hui très dépendante de l’étranger pour son approvisionnement énergétique. Une des solutions résiderait peut-être dans le développement de la Géothermie : le captage de l’énergie, de la chaleur qui réside naturellement sous terre. Une énergie propre et renouvelable donc mais qui est encore sous-exploitée dans notre pays. Etat des lieux d'une source d'énergie méconnue.

(From Google Translate) Belgium remains today very dependent on foreigners for its energy supply. One of the solutions may lie in the development of geothermal energy: the capture of energy, heat that resides naturally underground. Clean and renewable energy, but still underused in our country. This is the state of play of an unknown source of energy.

Lire la suite.........                                 Read More.........

Finance: A Well-Structured Portfolio of Projects and Technologies Can Offer a Firmer Renewable Generation Profile - Report

How multi-technology PPAs could help companies reduce risk (World Business Council for Sustainable Development)

The goal of this paper is to support continuing innovation in the way companies purchase renewable power for their operations.

A multi-technology power purchase agreement (PPA) covers multiple projects of different technologies (such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal or hydro). The research within the paper investigates if and how multi-technology PPAs could offer benefits to developers and/or corporate buyers by reducing some of the risks commonly seen in PPAs.

The research finds that a well-structured portfolio of projects and technologies can offer a firmer renewable generation profile compared to a single technology. As companies are evaluating different PPA options suitable for their needs, they should assess if the achievable risk reduction is enough to alter existing approaches for managing these risks and if it underpins discussions on reduced fees for the risk management.

Download the report..........

Kenya: Three New National Entities to Manage and Regulate Energy Resources

Kenya's energy sector gets three new agencies (The East African)

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday assented to three key bills including Energy Bill 2017, which establishes three national entities to manage and regulate Kenya's energy resources.

The law establishes three new agencies: 

• Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, 
• Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation, and 
• Nuclear Power and Energy Agency.

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority will regulate generation, importation, exportation, transmission, distribution, supply and use of electrical energy with the exception of the licensing of nuclear facilities. It will also regulate importation, refining, exportation, transportation, storage and sale of petroleum and petroleum products with the exception of crude oil, as well as manage production, conversion, distribution, supply, marketing and use of renewable energy.

The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation will undertake tasks including overseeing the implementation of the Rural Electrification Programme, managing the Rural Electrification Programme Fund and sourcing for additional funds for the programme and renewable energy.

Read More.........

USA, California: Streamlining the Clean Energy Development Pipeline

State Investments In Clean Energy and Transportation Technology (California Senate Office of Research)

This report describes the state’s investments in clean energy and transportation technology development through 40 existing financial incentive programs.

Budgetary and other information on the programs reviewed in the report is presented in the appendix. The report also discusses the pipeline of clean technology development, including challenges faced at each phase.

Finally, the report presents what we believe are important considerations for the Legislature.

To further assess the issues, the Legislature may consider creating an expert panel to address balancing investment levels along the pipeline, reducing redundancies, and identifying strategies to leverage private investment.

Download the report........

Indonesia: Consultant Needed as International Procurement Specialist for Dieng and Patuha Geothermal Projects

Indonesia Geothermal Power Generation Project - International Procurement Specialist - Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Deadline for Submissions: 15 March
Length of  assignment: Seven months

Asian Development Bank (ADB) will engage several consultants to provide technical support to the state-owned entity charged with geothermal power plant development, Geo Dipa Energi (GDE), and provide key inputs for ADB due diligence for the proposed expansion of existing geothermal power plants in Dieng and Patuha.

A comprehensive feasibility study to assess the technical aspects and costings of the field expansions at Dieng and Patuha will be carried out by GDE.

More Information.........

Netherlands: Exploration for Geothermal Resources Could be Tailor-Made for Oil Firms

Big oil rises to Dutch geothermal challenge (Petroleum Economist)

The quest for clean energy to fill the gap left by declining gas production could be tailor-made for oil firms

Geothermal is already a popular source of cheap, clean heating for the Netherlands' large tomato and flower-growing industry, pumping hot water from up to 4km (2.5 miles) below ground to serve greenhouses via heat networks. But now geothermal is starting to go mainstream, echoing increasing interest in the sector in neighbouring France and Germany.

Firms such as Shell, France's Engie and Canadian independent Vermilion Energy have submitted plans for large geothermal heat projects in the Netherlands in recent months. Official data shows more than 30 applications were received for geothermal permits across 2017 and 2018, compared to fewer than 10 in total over the previous seven years.

One of the stand-out elements of the regime is that the government helps companies cover the risk of exploration, removing a key obstacle that often stands in the way of tapping fresh energy resources. The Dutch government has already committed to continuing this regime and to help the industry mature, for example by running innovation programmes to improve technological know-how.

Read More.........

Russia: Four Day Geothermal Energy Conference in Kamchatka

3rd International Geothermal Conference GEOHEAT

3-6 September, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russian Federation

Organized by the Research Geotechnological Center of Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

The events will contribute to the solution of a number of fundamental problems: the development of theoretical issues of geothermics and heat flow of the Earth; establishment of new features of thermophysical processes in the geothermal water field development with supercritical thermodynamic parameters; the establishment of geothermal parameters of the Earth crust on basis of advanced experimental technologies (continuous thermal core logging technology, instruments for thermal property measurements at formation conditions, accounting of rocks heterogeneity, as well as micro- and macro-anisotropy), and on this basis the geothermal resources revaluation, including geothermal resources maps.

The planned event will be of great importance for the development of the above directions. Since not only representatives of academic institutions, universities and research laboratories, but also representatives of the geothermal industry, private geothermal research companies and resource developers who will be present at the conference among the participants and speakers, the scientific results will be able to find practical application. First Announcement (PDF)........

More Information.........

Poland: Country Has Large Geothermal Energy Resources

Time to let off steam: expert claims Poland’s geothermal capacity equals that of its coal reserves (The First News)

The amount of energy in Polish geothermal resources – water in hot rocks – is equivalent to the energy capacity of national reserves of black and brown coal, according to the president of  Stowarzyszenie Zrównoważony Rozwój Geotermia W Polsce Im. Św. Królowej Jadwigi -  the Association for Sustainable Development of geothermal in Poland, Saint Queen Jadwiga, Dr Marek Kaźmierczak.

Dr Kaźmierczak presented data according to which Poland’s energy resources in geothermal water, located at a depth of three kilometres, exceed national energy use by more than 120 times. He said that showed the scale to which these renewable resources could be used. The available geothermal waters exist in many regions of Poland – mostly in a band running diagonally through the middle of the country, from Szczecin to Rzeszów.

Read More.........

Netherlands: One Day Conference on Geothermal District Heating is Tomorrow

DAP Symposium 2019 (TU Delft)

Urban Heating: Risks & Rewards - Integrating cities with geothermal energy

12 March, 2019, Delft, Netherlands

This year’s symposium will focus on the challenges and opportunities of supplying urban areas with geothermal energy.

Currently, in The Netherlands, there exist several successful geothermal projects that are producing heat for greenhouses located in rural areas. With the allocation of a significant subsidy towards TU Delft in 2017, and the recent greenlight from the university board, the TU campus can and will be a pioneering project in the area of ‘urban geothermal heating’.

More Information.........

Finance: Webinar on Prospects for Global Geothermal Energy Markets

Which Geothermal Markets will Break Through in 2019? (New Energy Events)

Thu, Mar 14, 2019 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM PDT

Join us for a complimentary webinar on March 14 as we explore, on a world stage, which geothermal markets are poised to break through in 2019.

What can we expect from countries that have led the pack in recent years e.g. Indonesia and Turkey? Mexico was talk of the town in 2018; what are prospects for geothermal under AMLO? Will Ethiopia join Kenya at the forefront of geothermal development in Africa this year? What of Latin America where governmental support in, among others, Chile, Argentina and Colombia is cause for optimism among industry-watchers? Will direct uses of geothermal, e.g. district heating, help geothermal turn the corner?

Register.........