USA, Hawaii: Opportunity for Geothermal Energy to Replace Coal and Oil Power Plants

Hawaii's largest renewable energy push detailed in new procurement plan (News Release)

Projects would replace coal, oil-fired power plants
The plan for the Hawaiian Electric Companies' largest-ever renewable energy push may now be viewed online at www.hawaiianelectric.com/competitivebidding.

With the successful acquisition of a variety of clean energy technologies over the next five years, this ambitious effort will enable the companies to continue providing reliable service after the closure of the largest fossil fuel plant on Oahu and the retirement of Maui's oldest oil-fired plant.

Upon approval by the Public Utilities Commission, expected this summer, this second phase of renewable energy procurement will be opened to bids from developers locally and globally. Pending approval, the first projects would come online in 2022.

Estimated targets of new renewable generation of various technologies are the equivalent of 594 megawatts (MW) of solar for Oahu; 135 MW for Maui and 32 to 203 MW for Hawaii Island, depending on whether other renewable energy projects become available. Proposals for Molokai and Lanai will be sought later this summer.

For Hawaii Island, additional renewable generation is sought even assuming the Puna Geothermal Venture plant returns to service and the Hu Honua biomass plant comes online as planned.

Read More.........

New Zealand: Mercury Reports Record Geothermal Energy Generation

Mercury Quarterly Operational Update (News Release)

Mercury's geothermal generation increased by 23 GWh to 731 GWh in Q4-FY2019 from 708 GWh in the prior comparable period, which had more planned maintenance outages, and contributed to FY2019 geothermal generation of 2,896 GWh; the highest annual geothermal generation for the company.

Read More........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Monday, November 13, 2017 - New Zealand: Mercury Reports Successful Maintenance at Nga Awa Purua Geothermal Power Station
• Monday, August 29, 2016 - New Zealand: Geothermal Energy Expert Leaves Mercury Board
• Monday, August 1, 2016 - New Zealand: Mighty River Power is Now Officially Mercury

Science & Technology: Geothermal Battery Claims to Generate Electric Power at less than 100 Degrees Celsius

Could the heat of the Earth’s crust become the ultimate energy source? (Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Sanoh Industrial created a very stable battery cell with the potential to directly turn heat into electricity, thus ultimately offering a method for making use of geothermal energy in a sustainable manner.

Generating electricity from geothermal energy requires devices that can somehow make use of the heat within the Earth's crust. Recently, a team of scientists at Tokyo Tech, led by Dr. Sachiko Matsushita, have made great progress in the understanding and development of sensitized thermal cells (STCs), a kind of battery that can generate electric power at 100℃ or less.

The team is very excited about their discovery because of its applicability, eco-friendliness, and potential for helping solve the global energy crisis. "There is no fear of radiation, no fear of expensive oil, no instability of power generation like when relying on the sun or the wind," remarks Matsushita. Further refinements to this type of battery will be the aim of future research, with the hope of one day solving humanity's energy needs without harming our planet.

Read More.........

USA, Idaho: Vacancy as Assistant Director of R&D at Energy Policy Institute

Assistant Director for Research and Development with the Energy Policy Institute (Boise State University)

Closing Date: Aug 5, 2019

Boise State University, powered by creativity and innovation, stands uniquely positioned in the Northwest as a metropolitan research university of distinction. Learn more about Boise State and the City of Boise. Boise State University is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty, staff, students, and academic program offerings and to strengthening sensitivity to diversity throughout the institution. Boise State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, and members of historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. We are a welcoming campus that supports diversity and inclusion.

The Energy Policy Institute, the policy arm for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, is seeking a senior level specialist in energy to fill a new position. The Institute specializes in energy systems change with timely and impactful analysis, advising, training and related engagement to advance policy-relevant decision-making.  We seek applicants with a strong track record in energy policy as well as interest in building strong capabilities in an advancing Institute.

More Information and Apply........

Italy: Two Day Geothermal Energy Conference in Tuscany

Global Geothermal Energy Summit 2019 (ACI)

 27-28 November 2019, Florence, Italy

Following the success from last year’s summit in Amsterdam, Active Communications International (ACI) is very excited to take the 7th edition of our Global Geothermal Energy Summit to the birth place of geothermal energy production – Tuscany, Italy.

With Geothermal energy production being one of the lowest forms of CO₂ producing energy sources, its development & worldwide deployment is vital in the reduction in worldwide targets for CO₂ reduction.

The two day event will provide key insights into the opportunities, challenges, global trends and policies, through expert led case study presentations, interactive sessions and round table discussions giving practical examples of planning, financing & technological strategies shaping the future of geothermal energy production whilst networking with industry peers from across the geothermal power value chain.

During the afternoon of 26th November 2019, a limited number  of conference delegates will receive a unique opportunity to visit: Enel Green Power’s world’s first biomass plant used to heat geothermal steam at the Cornia 2 geothermal power plant, which is located in Castelnuovo Val di Cecina in Tuscany.

More Information.........

Geothermal Event! Latest from the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo

Register for the GRC before July 31 and save up to $150!!

• Register before July 31 and save up to $150!
• Book Your Hotel Rooms – Discounted room rate available until August 21 OR until the GRC room block is sold out.
• Reserve your Expo booth - Only 25 spaces left!

More Information and register.........

USA, Utah: Video Update on Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE)

FORGEing into the Future (Utah Governor's Office of Energy Development)

In the fourth installment of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) video series, we take a look at all that has occurred since the U.S. Department of Energy's historic announcement that the University of Utah would be awarded up to $140 million to advance next generation geothermal energy systems. 

U.S. Energy Secretary, Rick Perry and his Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) department present their vision behind FORGE as the Utah Governor's Energy Advisor, Dr. Laura Nelson details Utah's commitment to supporting DOE in sparking innovation to power the world with affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.

(Video 3:57 minutes)

More updates on the FORGE project will be presented at the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo, 15-18 September in Palm Springs, California.

Latin America: Winners of Latin America and Caribbean Geothermal Awards Announced

The Second Annual GEOLAC Industry Award Winners Announced! (New Energy Events)

Rosa Escobar, Engineering Manager, LaGeo and
Matthew Perks, CEO, New Energy Events

The Geothermal Congress for Latin America and the Caribbean (GEOLAC), the largest annual gathering of the regional geothermal market, today announced five winners for its second annual GEOLAC Industry Awards. The winners were recognized on stage at the 6th GEOLAC in Santiago.

New Energy Events, the organizers of GEOLAC, partnered with ThinkGeoEnergy to create the awards program with the purpose of recognizing and rewarding excellence in geothermal across the region in the previous year.

• BEST PROJECT: Las Pailas II – Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad
• BEST FINANCING PROGRAM: Sustainable Energy Facility for the Eastern Caribbean - Geothermal Risk Mitigation Project, Commonwealth of Dominica
• BEST PROJECT – SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: Calefacción con geotermia para un establecimiento educacional en Coyhaique, Centro de Excelencia en Geotermia de Los Andes (CEGA)
• GEOTHERMAL LEADERSHIP MVP - Rosa Escobar, LaGeo

Read More.........

Global: International Renewable Energy Agency Records Over 13 GW Geothermal Energy Capacity in 2018

Renewable Energy Statistics 2019 (IRENA)

IRENA records 13,277 MW of global geothermal energy capacity in 2018

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) produces comprehensive, reliable data on renewable energy capacity and use worldwide.

Renewable Energy Statistics 2019 provides data sets on power-generation capacity for 2009-2018, actual power generation for 2009-2017 and renewable energy balances for over 130 countries and areas for 2016-2017.

An accompanying Renewable energy highlights brief notes major trends in the sector worldwide.

The capacity figures for the top ten geothermal energy countries in 2018 as as follows:

1. USA - 2,541 MW
2. Indonesia - 1,946 MW
3. Philippines - 1,944 MW
4. Turkey - 1,283 MW
5. New Zealand - 966 MW
6. Mexico - 951 MW
7. Italy - 767 MW
8. Iceland - 753 MW
9. Kenya - 663 MW
10. Japan - 486 MW

Read More.........

USA, Utah: Valuable Data Made Available from the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy

3D Geophysical Modelling of Gravity Data at the Utah FORGE site (Innovate Geothermal)

By Christian Hardwick, Utah Geological Survey and Jeff Witter, Innovate Geothermal Ltd.

These resources describe the 3D geophysical inversion modeling of gravity data at the FORGE site near Milford, Utah. FORGE is the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy and the site in Utah has been selected by the U.S. Dept. of Energy for a 5-year R&D program to test technologies for the development of Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS).

3D modelling of gravity data at the FORGE site is to help characterize the subsurface geologic framework. Specifically, modelling of gravity data in 3D, used in conjunction with rock density measurements and other subsurface geologic information can provide an independent test of an existing 3D geologic model (e.g. Witter et al., 2018). Such an exercise can be useful for reducing uncertainty in 3D geologic models (Witter et al, 2019).

Read More.........

The authors of the above paper will be attending the GRC Annual meeting & Expo in Palm Springs, California from 15-18 September to present their findings. Other FORGE papers will be presented in two special sessions:

• FORGE in 2019 (John McLennan et al.)
• New Geoscientific Developments at the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) Site (Stuart Simmons)
• FORGE Earth Model Update (Rob Podgorney et al.)
• Modeling Support for Drilling and Stimulation Planning for Utah FORGE Phase 3 (Aleta Finnila)
• Geophysics at the Milford, Utah, FORGE site: update on Gravity surveys and 3D modeling (Christian Hardwick et al.)
• Seismic Monitoring at the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (Kristine L Pankow et al.)

Chile: Two Day Conference on Geothermal Energy in Latin America Opens

GEOLAC 2019 - 6th Geothermal Congress for Latin America and the Caribbean (New Energy Events)

July 16-18, 2019, Santiago, Chile

The Geothermal Resources Council is pleased to partner with New Energy Events for GEOLAC 2019, the only annual gathering of the region’s leading geothermal stakeholders.

GEOLAC 2018 brought together 200 delegates from 30 countries, and this year’s conference is expected to be even more substantial. Join government officials, utilities, developers, and capital providers as they showcase projects and funding programs, facilitate critical new relationships, and tackle obstacles to development in LAC.

Registration and agenda details available at newenergyevents.com/geolac.

Philippines: "Father of the Southern Negros Geothermal Project" Passes

Alfonso Dodong Teves, Geothermal “father,” 87 (Negros Chronicle)

Engr. Alfonso “Dodong” S. Teves, Jr.

Conceivably the father of the southern Negros Geothermal Project being its first general manager of PNOC at Palinpinon geothermal site, Engr. Alfonso “Dodong” S. Teves, Jr, lived a full life of service to God and man. He passed away peacefully at the age of 87 at the Silliman Medical Center Monday July 8.

Dodong Teves was First connected with DPWH and later the National Power Corporation, then as resident manager of Tolong Sugar Milling, after which he joined the PNOCEDC team that explored the potential of geothermal in the Philippines. The first project manager of the Southern Negros Geothermal Project which started its exploration in 1973 and commissioned its first power plant in 1983. He became the geothermal operations manager of PNOC-EDC handling all geothermal operations in the Philippines. He retired in 1991.

Read More........

Kenya: First Well at Baringo-Silali Geothermal Project is Promising

GDC commences exploratory drilling in Baringo-Silali (GDC)

GDC rig mounted at the Paka Prospect in the
Baringo – Silali Geothermal Project

In May this year, the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) opened the Master valve of a well, the first exploration well in the Paka Geothermal Prospect and the first geothermal well, north of the equator within Kenya’s East Africa Rift System.

To produce geothermal-generated electricity, wells as deep as 2 kilometers or more are drilled to tap steam and very hot water that drive turbines linked to electricity generators.

Already, there are positive indications from the well, signaling success and heralding a new chapter in the development of geothermal energy in Kenya and a momentous milestone for GDC as the company strives to accelerate the development of geothermal resources in Kenya through surface exploration and drilling for steam.

Read More.........

USA, California: Chance to Visit a Mysterious Moving Geothermal Mud Pot

A Moving Mystery (ACSE)

A GRC fieldtrip will visit the Wister mud pots mentioned in the article

The time series from Google Earth shows the appearance of W9 and the first detection of the moving mud spring (in 2016) as a southwestern elongation in W9. (images adapted from Google Earth by David K. Lynch)

Along the southeastern edge of California's Salton Sea, there are several areas that contain geothermal mud pots and mud volcanoes—geological features that may change shape, but never location.

In 2016, a large, muddy CO₂ -driven mud spring in Imperial County, California, developed—and in a completely unexpected way, began moving southwest. By early 2018, the mud spring threatened local infrastructure, including a railroad, a pipeline, and a state highway.

Read More.........

A GRC fieldtrip will visit the Imperial Valley on September 18 & 19 from the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo in Palm Springs, California, USA. The trip will include a stop at the Wister mud pots mentioned above.

Science & Technology: More Efficient Extraction of Lithium from Geothermal Brine

A Quantitative Metric for the Design of Selective Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Lithium from Geothermal Brine (Wiley Online Library)

By Andrew W. Ruttinger, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA, et al. 

As demand grows for lithium, its recovery from geothermal brines provides an attractive alternative to slow mining. One promising extraction method uses crown ethers as extractants in supercritical carbon dioxide with cation exchangers to facilitate extraction from brine.

Binding free energy gives a suitable metric to describe extraction efficiency. Differences in the binding free energies of sodium and lithium to crown ethers determine the extraction selectivity. Fluorine groups are found to exert a positive influence to optimize extraction efficiency. Of the systems studied, F14C4 with TPFOS offers the most selective and efficient extraction system.

Read More.........

United Kingdom: Oil & Gas Companies Should Demonstrate New Technologies to Unlock Scotland’s Deep Geothermal Energy Resources - Report

Glasgow Geothermal Energy Research Field Site Company demand analysis (Scottish Enterprise)

Aims: The key aims for the research project were as follows: to carry out a thorough review of the current Scottish geothermal company base; to survey the companies identified regarding their interest in the Glasgow Geothermal Energy Research Field Site (GGERFS) from a geothermal energy perspective; and to provide recommendations on how Scottish Enterprise (SE) can work with the British Geological Survey to market the GGERFS effectively to companies both in Scotland and internationally.

Methods: The methodology consisted of a literature review and engagement with a number of stakeholders in the area of geothermal energy.

Findings: The key finding is that the presence of the GGERFS in Scotland, and the adjacent Clyde Gateway 5th generation district heating network, could be an opportunity to create a platform for collaborative action that will maximise benefits to Scottish companies, provide the evidence for wider replication and attract key players from other countries.

Recommendations: The key recommendations of the report are as follows: to create a focal point for mine energy innovation around the GGERFS; and to incentivise innovative oil & gas industry companies to demonstrate new technologies to unlock Scotland’s deep geothermal energy resources.

Read More........

East Africa: New Zealand Africa Geothermal Facility to Help Development in Region

New Zealand Facility To Partner With GDC In Capacity Building, Resource Management (News Release)

A key geothermal facility from New Zealand is exploring ways of collaborating with Geothermal Development Company (GDC) to boost technical capacity in the geothermal development, steam field development and resource management.

The New Zealand Africa Geothermal Facility (NZ-AGF), is also in talks with GDC in providing financial grant in order to support the latter’s quest to develop country’s vast geothermal resources. The facility offers responsive, flexible technical assistance and capacity building services and aims to alleviate barriers to development, improve understanding and regulation of geothermal resources, progress projects, de-risk and secure financing for investment.

The New Zealand Africa Geothermal Facility (NZ-AGF) is being implemented under the New Zealand and the African Union Commission Partnership Arrangement, signed at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in June 2017.

The target countries for the Facility are those within Eastern and Southern Africa that have geothermal potential and are eligible for Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility funding, specifically: Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Eritrea, Djibouti, Comoros, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo. The overall goal of the Facility is to expand access to affordable, reliable and clean energy in East African nations through the increased use of geothermal energy resources.

Read More.........

Serbia: Potential for Up to 68 MW of Geothermal Energy Capacity in Vojvodina Province

France's AFPG to back geothermal projects in Serbia's Vojvodina (Renewables Now)

French geothermal association Association Française des Professionnels de la Géothermie (AFPG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the development of geothermal energy projects in Serbia's northern autonomous province of Vojvodina, the Vojvodina government said.

AFPG will support Vojvodina in executing studies on the technical and economic potential of the geothermal resources in the province, the Vojvodina government said in a statement on Monday.  

A recent study executed by GEODEEP, a cluster of companies including members of AFPG, has shown that Vojvodina has the potential to develop four geothermal projects with a capacity of between 11 MW and 17 MW each with a total investment ranging from 7 million euro ($7.9 million) to 18 million euro, the Vojvodina government said. 

The potential geothermal projects are located in the towns of Subotica, Kikinda, Sremska Mitrovica and Ruma, and in addition to the production of power, they will supply heat for district networks in cities or industrial zones, the Vojvodina government added.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Monday, July 23, 2018 - Serbia: Good Potential for Geothermal District Heating in Vojvodina Province
• Thursday, July 19, 2018 - Serbia: Progress on Bogatić Geothermal District Heating Project
• Friday, November 3, 2017 - Serbia: Funds made Available for Geothermal Energy Feasibility Study at Bogatić
• Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - Serbia: Drilling for Geothermal Energy Project to Start Next Year

Science & Technology: Shape Memory Polymers Activated by Geothermal Temperatures to Prevent Loss of Fluid in Fractured Rocks

OU Research Team Developing New Methodology and Smart Wellbore Materials for Geothermal Drilling (University of Oklahoma)

Saeed Salehi, project principal investigator and
professor of petroleum and geological engineering,
Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy.

A University of Oklahoma (OU) research team is developing smart lost circulation materials that use shape memory polymers activated by geothermal temperatures to prevent the loss of fluid in fractured rocks near the wellbore. These materials expand within the fractures to reduce non-drilling time and strengthen the wellbore in high-temperature drilling operations.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office funded the early-stage research with a $1.79 million grant. In addition, the project has more than $0.5 million cost share from various entities.

“The cost of drilling a geothermal well is prohibitive without new technologies to address the challenge of drilling the type of rock found in a geothermal well,” said Saeed Salehi, project principal investigator and professor of petroleum and geological engineering, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. “The shape polymers under development for this project are novel expandable and programmable polymers that activate when drilling a high-temperature geothermal drilling operations.”

Read More.........

Germany: Holzkirchen Geothermal Power Plant Starts Delivering Electricity

Holzkirchen: Electricity fed into the grid for the first time (Erdwerk)

(Courtesy Geothermie Holzkirchen GmbH)

Following the start of operation for district heating in December 2018, electricity was fed into the grid for the first time on 4 July 2019 as part of the trial operation of the Holzkirchen geothermal power plant.

Further information on the start of electricity production can be found in the press release of Geothermie Holzkirchen GmbH.

Read More........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Thursday, December 20, 2018 - Germany: Holzkirchen Geothermal Power Plant to Begin Trial Operations in Spring Next Year
• Tuesday, September 12, 2017 - Germany: 3.4 MW ORC Turbogenerator Supplied for Holzkirchen Geothermal Power Project
• Friday, April 21, 2017 - Germany: Holzkirchen Geothermal Plant to Begin Construction in Fall
• Friday, March 24, 2017 - Germany: Another Video of Holzkirchen Geothermal Plant
• Friday, March 24, 2017 - Germany: Holzkirchen Geothermal Project Delivers 150 Degrees Celsius Resource
• Thursday, March 9, 2017 - Germany: Testing Begins at Holzkirchen Geothermal Project

United Kingdom: Employment as Professor of Geothermal Energy at Heriot-Watt University

Professor of Geothermal Energy (Heriot-Watt University)

Closing date: 19 August 2019 
Salary: £59,828–Negotiable
Location: The Lyell Centre, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Edinburgh, Scotland

To celebrate our 2021 bicentenary of pioneering research we are seeking to appoint a highly-talented Professor of Geothermal Energy to join our world-leading team.

This post, co-funded by the British Geological Survey (BGS), is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic and aspiring individual to proactively lead and enhance the development of new, effective, and sustainable collaboration between BGS and the University.

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

USA, Alaska: The Potential for Geothermal Energy in The Last Frontier

Geothermal development is heating up in Alaska (KTUU.com)

Volcanoes along the Aleutian chain, hot springs in the interior and the Southeast. these are Alaska's three main geothermal resources. Lisa Murkowski has encouraged Alaskans to develop them. Gwen Holdmann, Director of the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) says the main thing stopping development is the distance.

“At the end of the day, if you're looking at economic development of these resources, you need to have some sort of a load within a reasonable distance to make it worth developing or some way to attract industry to that location,” Holdmann says.

The ACEP has looked at ways to get around the distances between heat sources and population centers, and one solution they've found is agriculture.

“That's one of the things that we've worked with Pilgrim Hot Springs out in Western Alaska on is having local food production, and then exporting that food to other parts of the region," Holdmann says.

Read More.........

USA, California: Designs for 20 MW Non-Hydro Geothermal Power Plant Project Almost Complete

GeoGenCo's Zero Water Geothermal Technology Helps Imperial Irrigation District Achieve Green Energy Goals (News Release)

Mud Volcanoes at the Davis-Schrimpf Seep
Field with the John L. Featherstone geothermal
power plant in the background.
GRC Fieldtrip  2013.

GeoGenCo, LLC of Las Vegas, Nevada, has completed their semi-final designs for their next generation True Geothermal 20 MW power plant in Imperial Valley, CA. GeoGenCo has a 15 MW Power Purchase Agreement with Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and expects to be providing power by June of 2020.

True Geothermal does not utilize any water in their power generation process. Rather than extracting the geothermal fluids, a high-performance heat exchanger is inserted into an existing (but non-performing) geothermal well where only heat is extracted from the geothermal formation, not from water, brine or steam. While a permit application for approximately six acre-feet of water has been filed, about one third of this water will be utilized for dust control and the other two thirds reserved for emergency fire-fighting purposes. Zero water will be utilized for the power generation process.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - USA, California: 20 MW Non-Hydro Geothermal Power Plant Project Moves On

A GRC Fieldtrip will visit the Imperial Valley on September 18-19 from the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo in Palm Springs, California.

USA, California: GRC Executive Director Comments on Geothermal Research Roadmap for Golden State

GRC Comments on the Preliminary Draft Utility Scale Renewable
Energy Generation Research Roadmap

By William Pettitt, Executive Director, Geothermal Resources Council (GRC)

RE: 19-ERDD-01 – “Preliminary Draft Utility Scale Renewable Energy Generation Research Roadmap” – TN# 228863

In response to the California Energy Commission (CEC) “Request for Public Comments on the Preliminary Draft Research Roadmap”, I kindly request that you consider the following comments from the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC).

The comments relate to Section 7, Geothermal Research Roadmap. Specifically, Section 7.2 provides two initiatives that are worthy of funding opportunities and we commend and thank the team for developing these initiatives. We recommend that these initiatives be expanded with three additional “Recommended Initiatives” at this time.

China: Four-Day Geothermal Conference in Beijing is Next Month

Geothermal International Conference (ARMA-CUPB)

We are pleased to announce the 2019 American Rock Mechanics Association  (ARMA) - China University of Petroleum–Beijing (CUPB) Geothermal International Conference to be held on 5-9 August 2019 in Beijing, China. Hosted by CUPB, the conference will promote technology sharing between petroleum and geothermal industries. More details can be found at http://www.arma-cupb.com.

From hydrothermal enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) to the oil and gas industry, the meeting will combine short course, technology highlights, industry perspectives, and field trip. Below is the program outline.

• Day 1 – Short Course / Training and Registration
• Day 2 – Technology Highlights: G&G, Drilling, Completion, and Hydraulic Fracturing Production, Reservoir Engineering
• Day 3 – Industry Perspectives: E&P Cases, Utilization, Power Generation, Management
• Day 4 – Field Trip: Beijing Geothermal Field

Click below to download:

• Conference Flyer
• Call for Abstracts
• Abstract Template
• Program

Over the past a few months, the conference has made great efforts to build organizations, develop programs, and tackle logistics challenges. We appreciate the supports from ARMA’s Peter Smeallie and TCHF’s John McLennan, Derek Elsworth, Maurice Dusseault, Joe Morris, Ahmad Ghassemi, Branko Damjanac, Doug Blankenship, and Herbert Einstein. Particular acknowledgements are to the diligence and hard work from the host CUPB, especially Xianzhi Song and Mao Sheng, and the contributions from other Organizing Committee members such as Jiang Shu at Univ. of Utah, Haiyan Zhu at Chengdu Univ. of Technology, Weiguo Liang at Taiyan Univ. of Technology, Xiaodong Ma at ETH Zürich, Yarlong Wang at Petro-Geotech, et al.

Fall is a beautiful season in Beijing. On behalf of the Advisory Committee, chaired by John McLennan and Gensheng Li, and the Organizing Committee, chaired by Gang Han, Xianzhi Song, Shu Jiang, we invite you to join us.

Global: Calendar of Geothermal Energy Events

Geothermal Energy Calendar from the Geothermal Resources Council

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

17-18 July, Santiago, Chile
http://newenergyevents.com/geolac/

August

2019 ARMA-CUPB International Geothermal Conference

5-8 August, Beijing, China
http://www.arma-cupb.com/homePage/cupb/index.html

7th Indonesia International Geothermal Convention and Exhibition (IIGCE)

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

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

18-20 August, Beijing, China
http://www.dyrbw.com/news/show.php?itemid=75860

September

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

October

1st Philippine Geothermal Conference (National Geothermal Association of the Philippines) 

2-3 October, Manila, Philippines
https://www.ngaphil.com/

Praxisforum Geothermie.Bayern

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

European Geothermal Workshop 2019 -
Characterization of Deep Geothermal Systems

9-10 October, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
http://www.agw.kit.edu/EGW2019.php

Geothermal Resources in Sedimentary Basins Conference

15-18 October, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
http://gssb2019.com/

Demonstration of deep geothermal in Europe – MEET H2020 technical workshop (MEET project) 

23 October, 9am-7pm, Palais des Congrès, Arcachon, France
Workshop is free
https://www.eventbrite.fr/e/billets-demonstration-of-deep-geothermal-in-europe-meet-h2020-technical-workshop-63956357186

November

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

1st Canadian Geothermal Students Day 

21-22 November 2019, Québec City, Québec, Canada
https://canadiangeothermal.wixsite.com/cgsd

Joint EAGE/BVG/FKPE Workshop on Borehole Geophysics and Geothermal Energy

22 November, Munich, Germany
https://eage.eventsair.com/boreholegeophysics2019/event-overview

41st New Zealand Geothermal Workshop (NZGW) 

25-27 November, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
https://www.geothermalworkshop.co.nz/
4th National Geothermal Conference - RENAG -
Colombian Geothermal Association (AGEOCOL)

25-28 November, Medellin, Colombia
https://renagcolombia.wixsite.com/2019

December

COP 25 - Climate Change Conference

2-13 December, Santiago, Chile
https://unfccc.int/santiago

American Geophysical Union - Annual Fall Meeting 

9-13 December, San Francisco, California
https://www2.agu.org/en/Fall-Meeting

2020

March

GeoTHERM - Expo & Congress

5-6 March, 2020, Messe, Offenburg, Germany
https://www.geotherm-offenburg.de/de/geotherm_messe_kongress_geothermie

April

World Geothermal Congress 2020

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

October

44th GRC Annual Meeting & Expo 

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

Chile: Major Regional Geothermal Energy Conference is This Week

6th Geothermal Congress for Latin America and the Caribbean (GEOLAC 2019)

July 17 - 18, 2019,  Santiago, Chile

Keynote address: Chile’s incoming Minister of Energy, Hon. Juan Carlos Jobet, has confirmed he will give opening remarks to GEOLAC 2019. In his first appearance at an international event, Minister Jobet will speak to his vision for the role of renewables on Chile’s grid. View full agenda

15 countries confirmed:We are pleased to confirm that 15 countries will be represented by their governments at GEOLAC 2019.

Confirmed to date are senior representatives from the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nevis, Nicaragua, Peru, and St. Kitts.

Investor match-making: We are offering private sector delegates a professional match-making service to arrange meetings with the Governments of Argentina, Chile and Colombia. Match-making has already begun!

Register for GEOLAC 2019 here.

The Geothermal Resources Council is a Lead Content Partner of GEOLAC 2019

Geothermal Event! Special Fieldtrip to Coso Geothermal and GreenFire Energy Closed-Loop Demo

Geothermal Resources Council Offers Fieldtrip to Coso Geothermal Operations and GreenFire Energy’s Closed-Loop Demonstration Plant, September 18-19, 2019 (News Release)

Fieldtrip Is Part of GRC Annual Meeting & Expo in Palm Springs, California

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) and GreenFire Energy Inc. today announced that the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo will offer a fieldtrip to Coso Geothermal Operations and GreenFire Energy’s Closed-Loop Demonstration Plant. The fieldtrip is scheduled for September 18-19, 2019, at the end of the GRC Annual Meeting, September 15-18, 2019 in Palm Springs, California.

Coso geothermal plant

The fieldtrip offers a rare opportunity to explore operations, volcanic geology, and hydrothermal features of the Coso geothermal field located at the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Station (NAWS), California. The Coso Geothermal Facility is known for its large and very hot geothermal resource. It has been producing power continuously since 1987. The tour will include views of Quaternary rhyolite domes and flows, Sierran basement rocks (geothermal resource host), a short-lived mercury mine, sinter terraces and fumaroles, plus the Coso well field, power blocks, and the central control room.

The tour features a visit to GreenFire Energy's experimental project demonstrating closed-loop geothermal power production technology. GreenFire Energy’s project has been tested using both water and supercritical CO2 as working fluids and is designed to demonstrate usage in hot dry rock resources and to retrofit unproductive conventional geothermal wells to regain productivity. The Coso and GreenFire Energy project has been primarily funded by the California Energy Commission with additional support from Shell Oil, the Electric Power Research Institute, J-POWER, and a variety of key suppliers, all of whom will have representatives on site for the tour.

For more information about the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo fieldtrip to Coso Geothermal Operations and GreenFire Energy’s Closed-Loop Demonstration Plant, visit https://geothermal.org/Annual_Meeting/fieldtrips.html#Coso or call (530) 758-2360.

Geothermal Event! The Latest News from the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo

GRC Annual Meeting & Expo - The Latest

Geothermal: Green Energy for the Long Run

15-18 September, Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, California, USA

• Event Program (PDF)........
• Online Registration......... 
• Registration Form (PDF)......... 
• Event Flyer (PDF)..........

Science & Technology: Drilling Advisor has Ability to Operate in Geothermal Wells at Temperatures up to 250°C

Machine Learning Can Solve Drilling Problems When Physics-Based Models Fall Short (News Release)

A new research grant awarded under the United States Department of Energy's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program aims to develop technologies that can harness these large data sets to help drillers make time-critical decisions. E-Spectrum Technologies, a leader in the development of technology-driven telemetry solutions for upstream energy markets, in partnership with the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been awarded a Phase I grant to begin development and commercialization of a machine learning-based drilling optimization system.

The objective of the grant is to develop and commercialize a real-time computer advisory system to help drillers make more effective decisions and optimize the Rate of Penetration (ROP) achieved during drilling operations. The advisory system will use transformational digital technologies such as distributed processing and machine learning techniques to quickly identify ongoing or incipient vibration and loading patterns that can damage drill bits and slow the drilling process. Features of the drilling advisor include the ability to: operate in geothermal wells at temperatures up to 250°C; perform downhole bit dysfunction identification using machine learning; and transmit near-bit data using high-speed short-hop EM telemetry.

Read More.........

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.

St Vincent and the Grenadines: Geothermal Project Reaches 250 Degree Celsius Resource at 2500 Meters

SVG’s geothermal source good, but “a little deeper” than expected (Searchlight)

It has been determined that at 2,500 metres below ground that St Vincent and the Grenadines has suitable temperature and permeability to generate geothermal energy.

This report comes two months after exploratory drilling began here at the foot of La Soufriere.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said on radio yesterday, while reading from a report he received this week, that at a depth of 2500 meters, the temperature was more than 250 degrees Celsius. He described this as a “great temperature” and said in the geothermal source itself, they have met the first permeability of the soil which was measured at 1.5 litres per second.

He said that officials expected the geothermal source to be deep, but it is a little deeper than expected as they intend to go down to 2700 metres into the earth.

And he said drilling will continue in order to benefit from the greater permeability.

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

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Tuesday, May 7, 2019 - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Drilling Starts at 10 MW Geothermal Power Plant Site
• Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: PPA Could be Signed Shortly for 10 MW Geothermal Power Project
• Tuesday, May 3, 2016 - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 15 MW Geothermal Power Project "in a Good Place"
• Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Outreach to Locals by St. Vincent Geothermal Company

Indonesia: Opportunity as Consultant for Flores Geothermal Island Master Plan Development

IC/UNDP/MTRE3/061/2019 - Consultant for Land, Environment and Social for Flores Geothermal Island Master Plan Development (UNDP)

Deadline: 26 July 2019

Period of assignment/services: 20 working days within 2 months

Location: Jakarta

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is currently implementing a project for Market Transformation towards Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (MTRE3) that requires the services of an individual to perform the work described in the above mentioned subject. 

One of the activities conducted in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is to support the Flores Geothermal Island (FGI). Based on the Geology Agency (2018) data, the total resource of geothermal resources in Flores Island that can be used to generate electricity is around 402.5 MW and the total reserves reached 527 MW. However, up to now only 12.5 MW  of  the  total geothermal  potential  is  being  utilized. 

More Information and Apply.........

Indonesia: Ormat Invests in Geothermal Power Project in East Java with 30-year PPA for up to 110 MW Capacity

Indonesia’s Medco Energi sells 49% stake in geothermal subsidiary (DEALSTREETASIA)

Indonesia’s listed energy company Medco Energi Internasional is selling a 49 per cent stake in subsidiary Medco Cahaya Geothermal (MCG) to New York-listed Ormat Geothermal Power for an undisclosed amount, according to a stock exchange filing.

Medco Energi owns 100 per cent of MCG through its arm Medco Power Indonesia (MPI).

MCG is the owner of a 110 MW geothermal power plant in Blawan-Ijen, East Java. The company has an electricity purchase agreement with the state-owned Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) for 30 years. The project is currently still in the development phase and commercial operations are expected to start by the end of 2022.

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Tuesday, July 2, 2019 - Indonesia: Ormat Invests in Geothermal Power Project in East Java with 30-year PPA for up to 110 MW Capacity

Ormat Technologies will be exhibiting at the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo, 15-18 September at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Southern California, USA. 

Global - Submit Your Best Geothermal Energy Photos - Deadline is August 2

The Geothermal Resources Council  2019 Amateur Photo Contest - Submit Your Best Shots Now!

The winners will be announced at the GRC Annual Meeting in Palm Springs, California, USA.

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) is pleased to announce this year’s Amateur Photo Contest. The purpose of the contest is to showcase quality photography featuring geothermal energy around the world.

The winners will be announced at the GRC Annual Meeting & Expo being held in Palm Springs, California, USA from September 15-18.

The first place winner will receive $150, second place - $100, and third place - $75. Honorable Mention photos will receive certificates.

Photographs on any subject related to geothermal energy including geothermal energy production, EGS, direct use and geothermal heat pumps can be submitted. This includes photos in the areas of exploration, drilling, well testing, research and development, power plant construction, operation, and maintenance, geological features or geothermal manifestations.

For the 2019 photo contest, GRC is helping to raise awareness of the community benefits of geothermal energy through providing honorable mention awards for photos that help demonstrate two specific categories: Diversity - Celebrating inclusivity in the geothermal industry and Community - Providing positive interaction and impact on communities.

More information on the GRC Amateur Photo Contest, including a Submission Form, can be found on the GRC website [www.geothermal.org]. The deadline for submissions is August 2, 2019.

Colombia: Geothermal to be Included in New Renewable Energy Auction

Colombia sets sights on October for delayed renewable auction (PV Tech)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

Colombia’s first ever renewable auction is to be held eight months after anti-trust concerns forced its postponement, the government has decided.

The tender that was called off in February due to low participation of buyers has been rescheduled to take place before 31 October 2019, the Energy Ministry announced on Wednesday.

The auction – open to wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro and wave energy – will match renewable projects of 5MW or more with potential buyers, with contracts running for 15 years.

Read on for the Ministry's statement, as well as the legislative texts (one and two) setting out tender conditions

Read More........

Indonesia: Groundbreaking at 10 MW Dieng Plateau Geothermal Project

PLTP Small Scale Dieng 10 MW Ditargetkan Beroperasi 2020 - Small Scale PLTP Dieng 10 MW is targeted to begin operations in 2020 (Listrik Indonesia)

Environmentally friendly-Farmer working on potato farms around geothermal installation, Dieng Plateau, Central Java. By Raditya Mahendra Yasa. GRC Photo Contest 2013.

PT Geodipa Energi (Persero) melaksanakan Groundbreaking Proyek PLTP Small Scale Dieng 10 MW di Lapangan Panas Bumi Dataran Tinggi Dieng, Jawa Tengah.

(From Google Translate) PT Geodipa Energi (Persero) carried out Groundbreaking for the 10 MW Small Scale PLTP [Geothermal] Project on the Dieng Plateau Geothermal Field, Central Java. 

Baca lebih lajut.........                             Read More.........

Europe: Mapping Geothermal Resources in Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania

A greener and healthier environment by using geothermal energy in the Danube Region (Danube Region Strategy - EUSDR)

This week story presents you DARLINGe, a project financed by the Danube Transnational Programme (DTP) that shows how one of the priority area’s objectives may be reached. Thus, the project aims to improve energy security and efficiency in the Danube Region by promoting the sustainable utilization of the existing, however still largely untapped deep geothermal resources in the heating sector.

The project approach renewable heating technologies such geothermal heating systems to cut the use of fossil fuels by offering a real option for the decarbonisation of the heating sector.

DARLINGe has mapped the rich, however still largely untapped deep geothermal energy resources and the heat demands to be matched in Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Romania.

Read More.......

Germany: Fourth Well Drilled at Munich Geothermal District Heating Project

Work on the 4th well in the SWM project Munich Schäftlarnstraße has been successfully completed (Erdwerk)

Ducks at the Schäftlarnstraße Drill Site
in Munich, Germany. By David Lentsch.
GRC Photo Contest 2018.

Work on the 4th well in the SWM project at Schäftlarnstraße in Munich, which began in mid-April 2019, has been successfully completed. After a drilling distance of more than 3,700 m, the Th4 well, which was diverted westwards from the drilling site at the Munich South CHP plant, reached its final depth exactly after two months in mid-June. The pumping tests carried out in recent weeks have also confirmed that the fourth well meets the original expectations.

The start of drilling for the fifth well, a total of six wells are planned at the Schäftlarnstraße site, is scheduled for next weekend (14 July 2019).

Read More.........

From the Global Geothermal News archives:

• Thursday, May 23, 2019 - Germany: Munich Geothermal District Heating Network Expands
• Friday, March 29, 2019 - Germany: Pump Tests Commence at 50 MWth Munich Geothermal District Heating Project
• Monday, March 25, 2019 - Germany: Third Well Drilled at Munich Geothermal District Heating Project
• Friday, December 14, 2018 - Germany: Second Well Successfully Drilled at Munich Geothermal District Heating Project
• Thursday, July 26, 2018 - Germany: Successful Drilling Produces 100 Degrees C from 2,800 Meters at Munich Geothermal District Heating Project

United Kingdom: Vacancy as Research Associate in Geothermal Energy at Heriot-Watt University

Research Associate (Experimental Rock Deformation)

Closing date: 8 August 2019
Salary: £32,236–£36,261
Location: The Lyell Centre, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Edinburgh, Scotland
Duration: 18 months fixed-term

You will join the GWatt project, which is a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded project (“GWatt – Geothermal PoWer GenerATed from UK GraniTes”) with 7 partners from academia and industry and coordinated by the British Geological Survey. This position is based at the Lyell Centre with strong links to the Institute of Petroleum Engineering at Heriot-Watt University.

GWatt is funded through NERC (Highlight Topics 2018). GWatt aims to tackle challenges related to deep geothermal systems, focusing on knowledge gaps about permeability and fluid/heat flow within fractured hot rocks. Novel studies of rock stress, natural fracture networks, hot rock permeability, heat/fluid transport, and optimisation are performed to fill these gaps. This project helps to enable the prediction of the economically-utilisable geothermal resource, the optimisation of reservoir development and the quantification of geological uncertainty and geological risks (such as induced seismicity). GWatt utilises data obtained from two new boreholes in granite being developed at the UK’s deepest onshore geothermal project at United Downs in Cornwall.

The specific task at HWU are funded for 18 months and will focus on the evaluation of the frictional and transport properties of granite fault rocks in a deep geothermal setting, over the lifetime of the well. This will be done via laboratory experiments using natural granite fault materials. The experiments are aimed at providing insight into the risk of induced seismicity and the efficiency of fluid/heat flow in the well.

More Information and Apply........