Following the receipt of a USD 300 million loan package from the Asian Development, Indonesian state-owned geothermal company PT Geo Dipa Energi (GDE) has announced immediate work to start on the construction for the expansions of the Dieng and Patuha geothermal power plants.

GDE President Director Riki F Ibrahim said that the physical development for the Dieng Unit 2 and Patuha Unit 2 plants will be carried out in 2020 until 2023.

“The project is very strategic for the development of geothermal investment in Indonesia. As well as playing a role in supporting the government’s efforts to attract private sector investment in this sector, “Riki explained.

With this development, it is planned that GDE will increase the capacity of the Dieng and Patuha geothermal power plants to 220 MW from the current capacity of 110 MW.

“Additional capacity is planned for 55 MW for both Dieng Unit 2 and Patuha Unit 2 PLTP,” said Riki.

Both projects have been prepared since the fourth quarter of 2019, with the process of preparing funding, project planning, and preparing procurement documents.

Riki explained, Patuha 2 and Dieng 2 are National Strategic Projects that provide environmentally friendly electricity in the Java-Bali network. In addition it will reduce the level of CO2 emissions by more than 700,000 tons per year when compared to power plants sourced from fossil energy.

“Then it can reduce oil imports equivalent to 35 million Bbl of BBM for 25 years,” he explained.

In addition to developing the Dieng and Patuha Unit 2 PLTPs, Geo Dipa is also currently developing a 10 MW Small Scale Dieng PLTP. This PLTP is targeted to operate by the end of 2020.

Dieng’s small scale geothermal power plant is included in the 2017-2025 EBTKE Geothermal Road Map, even including the Priority Monitoring Activities of President Jokowi’s Staff Office which is always monitored to increase the installed capacity of geothermal power plants in Indonesia.

Source: PanasBumiNews

Rocky Mountain Members in Transition (MiT), a joint effort of members of AAPG, SPE, WOGA, DWLS and RMAG (Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists), invites to a webinar on “Building the Future of Energy with O&G Expertise: Planning Your Geothermal Pivot” with Jamie Beard, Executive Director, Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization (GEO) at The University of Texas at Austin. In the webinar she will discuss the promise of geothermal as an avenue of transition for oil and gas industry workers.

Interest in geothermal energy as a strategic diversification that leverages the core competencies of the oil and gas industry has increased significantly over the past year. There are short, mid and long term plays for oil and gas – all scalable. Public and private investment will be required to enable the mid and long term plays. Governments around the world are considering moves currently as part of COVID related stimulus for the oil and gas industry to spur a “boom” in geothermal development.

Join us to discover how you might incorporate geothermal into your pivoting plan! Also visit the Petroleum Pivoters Geothermal web page for a wealth of information on pivoting with geothermal energy.

More on Jamie Beard: Jamie serves as Executive Director of the University of Texas at Austin’s DOE funded Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization (GEO), an organization that she founded in 2019. An energy and regulatory attorney by training, Jamie became engaged in geothermal energy nearly two decades ago in her undergraduate education. She worked closely with the oil and gas industry during her time on the executive team of an MIT startup developing a directional drilling technology, and believes that the oil and gas industry, through its workforce, scale and technological capabilities, holds the key to enabling the future of geothermal energy.

Attention (note by RMAG): You do not need to be an RMAG member to register. Simply select the number of tickets you want and click the RSVP button [via the link here or below].

Source: Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

In a series of video presentations, Italian ORC supplier Turboden shares insights into its business and technological solutions to generate clean electricity.

In its latest talk of this series, geothermal is one of the greatest untapped opportunities to clean up the environment for the next generations.

In this talk, Joseph Bonafin, Turboden Sales & Business Development Manager Geothermal, introduces the ORC binary technology and its advantages to generate clean electricity  from geothermal sources. Binary plants along with large heat pumps are at the forefront for the decarbonisation of the district heating sector and of some energy-intensive industrial processes.

Within this video, ThinkGeoEnergy’s Alexander Richter gives an overview of the global geothermal market.

In a release yesterday, Calpine Corporation, one of the leading producers of renewable geothermal energy, announced the closing of a $1.1 billion Climate Bonds Certified financing for its wholly-owned subsidiary, Geysers Power Company, LLC (“GPC”).

The financing consists of a $900 million senior secured term loan and a $200 million letter of credit facility. The Green Loan will bear interest at LIBOR plus 2.00% per annum, increasing by 0.125% every three years, and matures in 2027. GPC intends to use the proceeds of this financing to repay Calpine for equity invested in GPC, as well as to fund ongoing operations, maintenance and capital expenditures. Calpine intends to use its equity proceeds to repay corporate and project-level debt and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

DNV GL, a Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) Approved Verifier, has performed the pre-issuance verification of the Green Loan.

GPC owns 13 geothermal power plants at The Geysers, which is the largest complex of geothermal power plants in the U.S. and is responsible for providing almost one-tenth of the renewable power produced in California every year. By virtue of its steam resources, interconnected fields and water reinjection capabilities, The Geysers is a unique geothermal facility that sustainably generates reliable power for its customers in Northern California year in and year out.

MUFG Bank, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Natixis, Mizuho Bank, National Bank of Canada, Sumitomo Mitsui, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, CoBank, Rabobank, ING Capital and DZ Bank acted as lead arrangers on the transaction. In addition, MUFG Bank acted as Administrative Agent and First Lien Collateral Agent, BNP Paribas acted as Syndication Agent, and Crédit Agricole and Natixis acted as Green Loan Coordinators. White & Case LLP acted as borrower counsel and Latham & Watkins LLP acted as lender counsel on the transaction.

About Calpine

Calpine Corporation is one of America’s largest generators of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources with operations in competitive power markets. Our fleet of 77 power plants, including one under construction, represents over 26,000 megawatts of generation capacity. Through wholesale power operations and our retail businesses, Calpine Energy Solutions and Champion Energy, we serve customers in 23 states, Canada and Mexico. Our clean, efficient, modern and flexible fleet uses advanced technologies to generate power in a low-carbon and environmentally responsible manner. We are uniquely positioned to benefit from the secular trends affecting our industry, including the abundant and affordable supply of clean natural gas, environmental regulation, aging power generation infrastructure and the increasing need for dispatchable power plants to successfully integrate intermittent renewables into the grid.

About Geysers Power Company

GPC is the single largest geothermal power producer in the United States, with a 725 MW fleet of 13 plants in operation in California. All of GPC’s geothermal assets are located in an area called The Geysers in the Mayacamas Mountains of northwestern California. GPC sells electricity, resource adequacy capacity and green attributes to wholesale customers, including electric utility companies, community choice aggregators and electric cooperatives.

About Climate Bonds Initiative

CBI is an international, investor-focused not-for-profit working to mobilize the $100 trillion bond market for climate change solutions. Among their services, the CBI administers a global green bond Certification scheme that requires certified investment products to meet sector-specific criteria established by the organization’s Climate Bonds Standard, thus ensuring that the related funds are being used to deliver a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.

Source: Company release via Yahoo

In a recent parliament sitting in Papua New Guinea, questions are raised on the geothermal policy for Papua New Guinea.

It seems that approaches to attract investments into the geothermal sectors have been hampered due to the lack of proper policy. The question is raised on when the Geothermal Resource Development Policy will be ready.

“Papua New Guinea is characterized by quaternary volcanic islands with potentially low to high-temperature geothermal resources that are yet to be systematically investigated for development and utilization.”

“The country has an installed capacity of 50MW geothermal power plant on Lihir Island, owned and operated by Newcrest Mining Limited within its gold mining lease. Apart from this, geothermal energy research and development including other renewable energy sources has been slow due to lack of political will and support for the development of policies and legal frameworks and finance to direct and lead geothermal development including other renewable energy sources to realize the desired national goals and visions.” so the Country Update for the World Geothermal Congress 2o20

In his questions to the Minister of Mining Johnson Tuke, MP Dr Allan Marat for Rabaul said that his region had enough geothermal resources to warrant the establishment of a geothermal power station to supply the whole of East New Britain (ENB).

“Unfortunately, our efforts to bring in foreign investments have been hindered by the fact that there is no geothermal resource development policy in PNG,” he said.

Dr Marat said the New Zealand government had funded the drafting of a geothermal resource development policy for Papua New Guinea a few years ago (around 2016). A draft version of the policy has been circulating, yet no final version has been presented.

The Geothermal Resource Policy that has been developed relates to the exploration, development, production, use and management (including preservation) of geothermal resources in Papua New Guinea. The Geothermal Resource Policy for PNG was developed by Mark Chrisp (Director of Mitchell Daysh Ltd) and Marlene Oliver (a former NZ Environment Court Commissioner) as part of the NZ Aid Programme funded by the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The resource policy sets out an overall policy mission and policy objectives are heavily influenced by New Zealand’s Resource Management Act 1991 and the Geothermal Module of the Waikato Regional Plan.

Source: Mine.OnePNG

Reference: “Geothermal Energy Resources of Papua New Guinea: Country Update” Maxine M. Lahan (Geological Survey Division, Mineral Resources Authority), Gener Villafuerte and Lynell Stevens (Newcrest Mining Limited), Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2020

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a draft environmental assessment for the San Emidio II North Valley Geothermal Development Project proposed by Ormat Technologies Inc. The project supports the Trump Administration’s goals of achieving energy security, strengthening local economies and creating local jobs. The 30-day comment period will start June 11, 2020.

The 24,000-acre San Emidio Geothermal Unit includes nine federal geothermal leases and is located in the San Emidio Desert approximately 15 miles southwest of Gerlach, Nevada. The area has a long history of geothermal exploration and production that began in the late-1980s with the construction of the 3.6-MW Empire Geothermal Plant. Development and production of the San Emidio geothermal resource has continued since then, the plant facilities were expanded to produce 11.8 MW in 2012.

“The BLM actively supports the Trump Administration’s America First Energy Plan, an ‘all of the above’ strategy which supports energy development on public lands, improving infrastructure, and creating jobs in local economies,” said BLM Nevada’s State Director Jon Raby. “We look forward to receiving public input on the San Emidio II Project as we continue to evaluate this project.”

The project also supports Executive Order 13783: Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth and Secretary’s Order 3349: American Energy Independence.

As part of the next phase of development for this project, the BLM is analyzing the environmental effects of upgrading the current plant and potentially building a new power plant to produce up to 40 megawatts of electricity. Other construction will include a substation, up to 26 total geothermal production and injection wells, approximately 7.5 miles of aboveground pipelines and an approximately 58-mile long 120-Kilovolt overhead power line originating at the power plant that will terminate at the NV Energy Eagle Substation near Fernley, Nevada.

The draft EA for the NVGDP-SEGF can be viewed at: https://bit.ly/38ShWp7. The public is encouraged to provide comments via email: blm_nv_wdo_sanemidioii@blm.gov, by internet through the link listed in the next paragraph; or by mail:

Source: BLM

As reported locally, the country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has granted MPD Groene Energie the exploration license for exploratory drilling for geothermal energy in the municipality of Ede, near Arnhem, Netherlands. Geothermal energy is a sustainable heat source that can be connected to the realized Slim Green Heat Network in Ede within four years. The locations of these test drillings are determined in consultation with the municipality.

After a trajectory of almost two years, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has granted Warmtebedrijf Ede the exploration license to conduct test drilling for geothermal heat at 40 km2 at three locations. Various preliminary investigations showed that geothermal heat sources are located under Ede. In the event of successful drilling, Warmtebedrijf Ede connects the heat to the Slim Green Heat Network that has now been realized.

Geothermal heat

To reach the geothermal energy, drilling will take place approximately 3 kilometers deep. With this, temperatures of 80 to 90 degrees Celsius are extracted from the soil. Similar drilling has been successful in the Netherlands. “Preliminary research shows that geothermal energy can play an important role in our sustainable heat mix,” said Valentijn Kleijnen, director of Warmtebedrijf Ede. “We want to guarantee a successful innovation so that we can provide Ede with the most sustainable heat mix as soon as possible.”

Smart Green Heat Grid

The development of the Smart Green Heat Network in recent years makes it possible to use innovations such as geothermal energy. Now that the heat network has a large number of customers and forms a closed heat roundabout, it is possible to easily connect and disconnect heat sources such as geothermal energy. The Slim Green Heat Grid makes it possible to supply all heat from geothermal heat in hot summers, for example for a shower. More heat is never extracted than is needed. For example, efficient and demand-driven heat supply takes place and we do not throw anything away.

Source: OmRoepede, company release

In an interview in the East African, KenGen Managing Director & CEO Rebecca Miano talks about the ongoing project development and the targets in the immediate and medium term for her company.

She indicates, that most of the geothermal power projects that have been in the pipeline of KenGen are in various stages of implementation with a medium-term target of an additional 720 MW.

Currently, KenGen has an installed geothermal power generation capacity of 707 MW, with an additional 154 MW of capacity by private players.

KenGen is currently working on the construction for the Olkaria I Unit 6 geothermal power plant, which started in December 2018. The expected completion and start up is expected for 2021.  The planned addition would be around 83 MW.

The situation of covid-19 has effected the implementation of projects, how or if this will require down-scaling or actual suspension of projects is still to be seen.

Geothermal energy has become the key source of income for KenGen with its geothermal energy-led strategy. At the same time KenGen is also looking at business diversification as can be seen with services being sold, such as drilling services for a geothermal project in Ethiopia. KenGen is looking at expanding that work offering geothermal drilling and consultancy services across Africa with a target of Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Zambia and the Comoros (Islands).

Source: The East African

Aubergine nursery Greenbrothers in Zevenbergen in the Netherlands is the first company in the Netherlands that uses shallow [shallower] geothermal energy.

Visser & Smit Hanab – a VolkerWessels company – carried out the pioneering project, in which low-temperature geothermal energy (LTA for short) heats Greenbrothers’ greenhouses, as reported by Techniek Nederland. The LTA installation uses geothermal heat with a temperature of 31 degrees C that can be upgraded to 60 degrees C with a heat pump.

LTA is a new type of geothermal energy that combines the advantages of a thermal energy storage system with those of deeper geothermal energy, while it does not have the known disadvantages of these forms of sustainable heat extraction. Due to the extraction of water from relatively shallow layers of earth, the temperature of that water is “only” around 30 ° C, which means that the heat needs to be upgraded.

Considerations

A study by DLVGE, KEMA and IF Technology into energy from less deep strata in 2014 revealed the potential of LTA. Ronald-Jan Post, energy manager at Greenbrothers, was one of the people involved in this study. “Based on the research, various soil maps could be made, which also revealed the possibilities for Zevenbergen. This put us on the trail of LTA, with Visser & Smit Hanab (V&SH) as the implementing party, for the sustainable heating of our greenhouses. ”

The different geothermal technologies, including geothermal energy

“The choice of LTA was obviously not made overnight,” said Post. “The principle of LTA had never been applied before, and such a pioneering project involves uncertainties and risks. That is why we also looked at alternatives with Greenbrothers, such as residual heat from Moerdijk or building a fermentation installation. But taking all the pros and cons into account, we eventually chose LTA. ”

Logical choice

Mark de Vrieze, project manager at V&SH, indicates that this choice was an obvious choice for the Greenbrothers project. “The goal of Greenbrothers was to heat the greenhouses in a sustainable way. Both CHP and deep geothermal energy were not an option. Because Greenbrothers only needed sustainable heat and had almost no cold demand, a thermal energy installation was not a realistic choice. ”

Deep geothermal energy was also not an option for the sustainable implementation of the heating of the greenhouses. “It is geologically impossible to apply deep geothermal energy in Zevenbergen,” says De Vrieze. “In the search for opportunities for profitable sustainability, you always depend on the environment. For Greenbrothers, this meant that LTA was the best solution for heating the greenhouses sustainably. ”

Special drilling method

V&SH provided the drilling for the “shallow geothermal energy”, as LTA is also called. To do this, the company drilled into the earth layer “Brussels Sand”, which is located in Zevenbergen at about 700 m depth. V&SH developed a special drilling method to extract the geothermal energy from the Brussels Sand in a profitable manner. “The sand layer from which we extract the heat is relatively thin,” explains De Vrieze. “If we opted for vertical filters, the temperature of the water in combination with the amount of water we can pump up would not be in proportion to the costs.”

Shallow geothermal aerial view

That is why V&SH developed a method to drill and place the filters horizontally in the Brussels Sand. This technique is somewhat comparable to directional drilling for pipes and cables under, for example, rivers and roads. De Vrieze: “In doing so, we drill two wells at an angle from each other at an angle downwards. This creates enough space between both wells, without us having to go very deep. Then we drill horizontally and place the filters there. By applying the filters horizontally, we can extract warm water over a much greater distance. With this greater flow and the lower temperature in these less deep layers of the earth, this results in sufficient power.”

Benefits

According to De Vrieze, the use of LTA has several advantages. “Due to the relatively low temperature and composition of the water we pump up, there is much less corrosion in this project than in deep geothermal energy. As a result, the pipes do not have to consist of extra resistant materials, which means that the costs for materials and maintenance are significantly lower. In addition, you do not have to use inhibitors or chemicals.”

Benefits

According to De Vrieze, the use of LTA has several advantages. “Due to the relatively low temperature and composition of the water we pump up, there is much less corrosion in this project than in deep geothermal energy. As a result, the pipes do not have to consist of extra resistant materials, which means that the costs for materials and maintenance are significantly lower. In addition, you do not have to use inhibitors or chemicals.”

“The less deep bore also ensures that we are not dealing with lightly radioactive substances,” De Vrieze continues. “Furthermore, the amount of gas in the water that we pump up is minimal: about 0.06 cubic meter of dissolved gas per cubic meter of water. That is so little that we keep the entire system closed and no degassing is required. This in turn has a positive effect on the corrosion and any precipitation in the injection well.”

Teething problems

The creation of the LTA installation had many feet, both literally and figuratively. “It was the first time that such a project had been realized,” says Post. “In projects where techniques and methods are applied for the first time, you often have to deal with teething problems. That was also the case with us. ”

One of the setbacks faced by the project was the leak in the reservoir, causing sand to leak into the pipes. Post: “That leakage blocked the pipes with sand. After we found the leak, it was repaired and the pipes were vacuumed so that we could continue. ”

Fallback scenario

In addition to the leakage, the project group was also faced with a second challenge: the well pump that collects the hot water got stuck and no longer pumped up water. De Vrieze: “The solution is theoretically simple: replace the pump for a new one and continue again. In practice, it is quite an operation to replace such a pump. ”

Post adds: “When replacing the pump, we noticed that this project really differs from projects with above-ground installations.” De Vrieze: “Something like this costs time and money, just like everything that deviates from the theory costs time and money. It is therefore important that you prepare different fallback scenarios for this type of situation. The experiences we have now gained are very valuable for this. ”

Results

Greenbrothers’ objective was to reduce CO2 emissions for heating the greenhouses by 80%. “It seems that we are going to achieve that goal, although it is too early to say this with certainty,” says Post. “The installation has been active since December 2019, so it is still running a little too short to draw final conclusions about the performance. We are currently fine-tuning the system. ”

De Vrieze: “With the shallow geothermal energy, we generate 25,000 MWh of energy every year, and the heat is upgraded via the heat pumps.” The heat pumps to which De Vrieze refers are used in series; a modular heat pump system consisting of three heat pump modules ensures a good upgrade of the geothermal heat while maintaining a good efficiency. The result is impressive: an annual saving of 9,000 tons of CO2.

Suitable solution

Post is satisfied with the results of the completed LTA installation. “We are the first parties to have done this. Of course there are areas for improvement for a next project, but that is always when you start working with new techniques. The great thing is that this information is available in a subsequent project with LTA. With this installation we can supply our greenhouses with heat in a sustainable way all year round, so LTA is a great solution for us. I wonder what role LTA can play in other issues in the future. ”

Source: Techniek Nederland

In a release this week, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced more than $20.1 million in federal funding for 58 projects supported by DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF).

The projects are a part of a larger Department-wide TCF effort, in which 82 projects will receive more than $33 million in federal funding and more than $36 million in matching funds from the private sector.

TCF projects require a 50% match of non-federal funds. A list of the EERE-funded projects and lab partnerships follows.

The following geothermal energy related projects received funding:

• Argonne National Laboratory: Demonstration of Ceramicrete (R) as a Robust Geothermal Well Cement, $250,000
• Brookhaven National Laboratory: Sustainable Well Cement for Geothermal, Thermal Recovery and Carbon Storage Wells, $249,999 – companies involved HERO (Seattle, WA), Imerys (Chesapeake, VA), Resource cementing (Rio Vista, CA), and Trabits Group (Wasilla, AK)
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Geothermal Resource Portfolio Optimization & Reporting Technique, $112,500 – companies/ groups involved CanGEA (Calgary, Canada), Hungarian Geological Survey (Budapest, Hungary), International Geothermal Association (Bonn, Germany), Jacobs Engineering, Inc. (Auckland, New Zealand), Reykjavik Energy (Reykjavik, Iceland)
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Recovery of Lithium from Geothermal Brine with Lithium-Aluminum Layered Double Hydroxide Chloride Sorbents, $500,000 – companies/ groups involved All American Lithium (Brawley, CA), Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho Falls, ID)

Source: U.S. Department of Energy/ Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

Following a recent award for its sustainability the geothermal plant of Holzkirchen in Bavaria/ Germany has bagged another award, so local publication Merkur.

We recently reported on the plant being nominated for the Rosenheimer Timber Construction award and now it is official. The plant is the winner of this year.

“Plenty of wood was used in the plant and successfully demonstrated that an industrial plant can also be designed to be close to nature,” so the local authorities. A total of 382 cubic meters of wood were used for the machine house, the operating building and the heat center, mainly in the structure and the facades.

“This type of construction is not harmful to the environment, on the contrary, it is important for the climate.” Because with every meter of wood used for construction, a ton of CO2 is bound over the lifespan. The built-in quantity grows again – in purely mathematical terms – in a forest the size of the market town of Holzkirchen in eleven days. Since wood is considered the raw material of the Oberland region anyway, this sustainable construction also strengthens the regional economy.

The Rosenheim Timber Construction Prize is awarded by the Rosenheim District Association, a working group made up of architects from various departments and artists. Its members want to raise awareness of high-quality architecture and high-quality wooden buildings.

With 91 submitted building objects, there was a record number of participants for the competition this year. Prizes were awarded in various categories, with the architectural firm Ferdinand and Gerth commissioned by the Holzkirchen municipal works winning the “Audience Award” category. In this category, the participants could only vote online.

Albert Götz, Managing Director of the municipal works, is pleased about the award: “There was a very lively participation in the public vote, and we are very pleased that our system and its construction apparently find a high level of acceptance among the people in the region.” He would like to thank the architecture office, the IFT office for structural engineering and last but not least the carpentry Stoib from Warngau. All of them “had an excellent job”. Götz also sends a big thank you to the Holzkirchner town councilor Robert Wiechmann (Green Party), who contributed his high level of expertise as a forest engineer to the competition.

Source: Merkur

Attractions and hospitality company Pursuit has now unveiled more concrete plans and set a targeted opening in Spring 2020 for its planned premium oceanfront geothermal lagoon in the greater Reykjavik area.

Located in Kársnes Harbour, Kópavogur, just minutes from Reykjavik’s vibrant city centre and iconic urban landmarks, Sky Lagoon will showcase expansive ocean vistas punctuated by awe-inspiring sunsets, Northern Lights and dark sky views.

“We are thrilled to unveil plans to develop a remarkable geothermal lagoon experience along one of Iceland’s most stunning oceanfront locations,” says Dagny Petursdottir, General Manager, Sky Lagoon. “The rejuvenating and relaxing retreat, situated against the dramatic backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean yet so close to Reykjavik’s vibrant urban centre, will enable guests to connect with mind, body and spirit through the radiant powers of geothermal waters while taking in such impressive ocean views.”

The lagoon’s design draws inspiration from the breathtaking and cinematic landscapes of Iceland, creating an oasis within the city. Its un-obstructed 70-metre (230 ft) infinity-edge will produce a visual effect that will blend into the ocean landscape.  Further design elements are influenced by Icelandic culture, creating a distinctive guest experience modeled after Icelandic turf houses and its restorative spa-like ritual rooted in Icelandic tradition.

“Spending time relaxing in natural geothermal waters is an integral part of our culture here in Iceland. Sky Lagoon’s multi-sensory oasis will feature an ocean-side infinity-edge design in addition to cold pool and sauna experiences. Additional amenities will include an in-lagoon bar, dining experience and unique retail offerings,” said Petursdottir.

Pursuit will operate Sky Lagoon through the Icelandic entity Atlantic L ehf. (“Atlantic”) in co-operation with Nature Resort ehf., an Icelandic company. The facilities around the geothermal lagoon experience are in construction, anticipated to open spring of 2021.

“At Pursuit we are focused on connecting guests to iconic places through unforgettable and inspiring experiences,” says David Barry, President, Pursuit. “Iceland is one of those authentic and remarkable places that has the power to excite and inspire. Following the recent launch of our visually stunning FlyOver Iceland experience, we are thrilled to announce our continued commitment to Iceland with the inclusion of Sky Lagoon to our collection of world-class travel experiences.”

Iceland recently announced plans to reopen its borders closed by the global health crisis on June 15.

For more information on the Sky Lagoon visit skylagoon.com

Source: Company release via PR Newswire

During the pandemic and lockdown in Italy, geothermal energy has not stopped, continuing to guarantee renewable energy and heat to the region of Tuscany. So it is definitely great to see things getting – while slowly – back to normal.

Now also the  Museum of Geothermal  of Larderello, in the municipal area of ??Pomarance, has officially reopened its doors to the public to support the gradual recovery of  sustainable tourism , in collaboration with the institutions, the associative fabric of the territories and Co.Svi.G. Geothermal Areas Development Consortium.

In order to guarantee the protection of visitors and Museum staff,  Enel Green Power Italia has adopted all safety measures , equipping the entrance of the station with a  disinfectant gel  and detecting visitors’ body temperature and limiting access only to  visits by reservation  thanks to the service activated at the tourist offices of Volterra, which can be contacted every day from 9.30 to 13 and from 14 to 18 tel. 0588-86099,  info@volterratur.it , and Pomarance (available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 10 to 13, while on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 15 to 19, tel. 0588-62089, tourist office  or by email: . pomarance.pi.it.

The museum, which can only be accessed if  equipped with a mask, will be  open according to the summer timetable every day from 9 to 18.30 , with last access at 18. Visitors must follow the visiting instructions prepared for the reopening, through special signs and methods of use displayed at the entrance.

“We are very happy with the reopening of the Museum which represents a further step towards a return to normality – commented the mayor of Pomarance  Ilaria Bacci – The Museum of Geothermal Energy of Larderello promotes our renewable energy and represents a fundamental element of our tourist system, central to enhancing the places of our territory and we await many visitors. I thank Enel Green Power Italia, the Tourist Consortium and Idelacoop for the great effort made to quickly reopen the museum in safety according to the prescribed prescriptions.

“The Geothermal Museum of Enel Green Power Italia, managed by Idealcoop, tells the story of the energy through  10 rooms that unfold in an  interactive path, with a high technological and multimedia content, designed to allow visitors to learn about the many technical and industrial applications as well as the fascinating history and evolution of this natural resource.

In November 2017 the Museum was enriched with a new wing on the first floor which was the home of De Larderel with a further 12 rooms – currently reserved for visits managed directly by Enel Green Power Italia – which house the historical library, the origins of Larderello, its development from chemistry to electrical activity, the historical photographic archive.

The museum represents a fundamental element of the wider context of Tuscan geothermal energy, ancient in its suggestive origins and of great innovation in its industrial applications both from a technological and environmental sustainability point of view.

Enel Green Power manages this reality through the  34 geothermal power plants  (for a total of 37 production groups) distributed between the provinces of Pisa, Siena and Grosseto for a production of  around 6 billion kWh  capable of meeting almost 30% of the energy needs regional, also providing heat useful to heat about 10 thousand residential users  as well as companies of geothermal territories, about 30 hectares of greenhouses, dairies and an important agricultural, gastronomic and tourist supply chain.

Source: La Nazione

Pivot2020 is a week-long virtual event of ten moderated roundtables, featuring thought leaders and change makers who are building the future of geothermal energy. Panelists include leaders from the oil and gas industry, geothermal industry, academia, governments, national labs, and start-up companies.

Pivot2020 is being hosted by the Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization (GEO) at the University of Texas at Austin, and the International Geothermal Association (IGA), along with industry and organizational partners and friends.

Please register via the link below, you will then receive an email with a registration link when registration for the Pivot 2020 webinar series opens. Pre-registration will help us assure we can anticipate the number of participants and plan virtual accommodations accordingly. This is a free online event and open to all.

The event is providing an utterly exciting program to be shared very soon providing presentations, discussions and engagement on all the key topics surrounding the geothermal sector, technology, development and the cross-over from the oil and gas sector.

ThinkGeoEnergy is proud to participate and partner on the event and we will share more details on the event.

Register here

For the first quarter of this year, realisation of investment into geothermal development in Indonesia only reached 15.52% of a $1.05 billion target set by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

In its report shared in May of this year, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) recorded that the realization of investment in the geothermal sector in the first quarter of 2020 only reached US $ 163 million or 15.52% of this year’s target. The reason is, there are considerable challenges and risks in geothermal development.

ESDM Ministry’s Geothermal Director Ida Nuryatin Finahari explained that investors need additional incentives to be interested in developing geothermal projects in the country. Moreover, Indonesia has limited infrastructure access to the project site.

“All this time, the construction of access to the location has been charged to the developer. So it has an effect on the tariff and the economics of the project,” Ida said in a virtual discussion forum last week. Furthermore, according to Ida, geothermal potential is also widely spread in conservation forest areas.

This also becomes a challenge because conservation areas are only allowed to develop in geothermal utilization zones. Then, the feasibility of geothermal projects for electricity tariffs is still less economical for the community. “We know that electricity tariffs should not rise. But geothermal development in terms of the feasibility of economic projects cannot be competitive, with higher PLTU prices,” said Ida. Do not stop there, social issues and licensing in the development of the geothermal sector are always there. Moreover, geothermal is also drilling like the oil and gas sector.

“People ask if the drill fails or not like Lapindo. This is often the resistance, worried about damaged land, afraid if there is anything like the Lapindo case,” he said.

However, only 8% has been utilized or only 2,130.7 MW have been installed. The capacity is equivalent to the use of 32,000 BOEPD or 92 thousand BOEPD of crude oil. The realization of steam production from the geothermal sector until the first quarter also reached 28.2 million tons from the target of 112.51 million tons.

While electricity production in the first quarter reached 3,916 GWh or 24.46% of this year’s target of 16,005 Gwh. According to Ida, development in the geothermal sector actually plays an important role in the development of infrastructure in the region as well as the regional economy.

Because the country will also get income from Non-Tax State Revenues or PNBP. “The 2020 PNBP target is IDR 1.4 trillion and IDR 0.261 trillion has been realized. Almost all PNBP goes to the 80% and 20% centers,” Ida said.

Source: Katadata

Platform Geothermie in the Netherlands has responded to a letter shared by the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate shared in May of this year to the Parliament, we reported.

The geothermal platform is positive that Minister Wiebes sees geothermal energy as part of the energy transition. The ambition can be achieved more smoothly if strong efforts are made to take the necessary measures by the sector and the government.

The key points of the full response are:

• We see it as very positive and endorse the need to accelerate the sector: the further development of geothermal energy in greenhouse horticulture and the application in the built environment.
• Only with the actual use of acceleration can it be possible for the sector to get closer to the ambitions of the sector than the conservative estimate of 15 PJ of the State.
• We find the minister’s estimate that geothermal energy in the built environment will only start well in 2030.
• Good actions were taken on: SCAN (mapping the subsurface), knowledge and innovation programs with KIRA and MMIPs, SDE (extension of categories), support for the RCSG test center in Rijswijk, risk-bearing participation of EBN.
• Cooperation between parties in the geothermal sector and governments is of the utmost importance to achieve success. It is important to keep focusing on these actions to ensure they get the attention they deserve. See as an example the position paper SDE ++ of the geothermal sector.
• We experience a constructive attitude from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate when it comes to industry standards and the development of guidelines, with room for innovation and market developments.
• We see it as essential and positive that talks (continue to) take place between operators and advisors from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate about their share in accelerating the processing of permit applications. The processing of applications is now an (unnecessarily) long-term process and needs to be accelerated further.
• The importance of a role for local and regional authorities in the formal advisory process of the permit procedures is great. That is why the Heat Act 2 must pay attention to the link between the source, the heat network and the customer in order to accelerate developments.

Source: Platform Geothermie

The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) published the 2019 edition of the European Geothermal Market Report in June. EGEC staff will be presenting the key findings of this year edition, discussing the main trends for the sector and providing policy recommendations.

• Date of the event: June 17, 2020
• Time: 11:00-11:45 (CEST)
• Location: Gotowebinar

Agenda

• Introduction, Philippe Dumas, EGEC Secretary-General
• The electricity market, Philippe Dumas, EGEC Secretary-General
• The heat market, Thomas Garabetian, EGEC Senior Policy Advisor
• Electricity and heat markets, a smart sector integration, Sanjeev Kumar, EGEC Head of Policy
• Q&A

Check out the Key Findings 2019 of the Market Report.

Registration 

Source: EGEC

The judges of publication CFI.co have presented Welltec, a global provider of hi-tech solutions to the energy sector, with the award for Most Innovative Technology Solutions Europe 2020.

The award reflects its role in climate change transitions for the energy industry. Welltec’s highly versatile, cutting-edge products and services are designed to optimize the performance and integrity of all types of onshore and offshore wells, while enhancing safety and reducing environmental impact.

Some highlights from the CFI.co judging panel’s findings include:

• Entrepreneurial, can-do mindset
• Sustainability is a core component of Welltec corporate strategy
• Innovative well interventions and completions are aimed at reducing carbon footprints and supporting all phases in the life of a well
• Clients are assured of exacting standards of quality and safety

The judging panel’s full report:

Welltec: Most Innovative Technology Solutions Europe 2020

Welltec was founded in 1994, but the robotic well solutions business concept had been percolating for much longer. As part of a university thesis project, founder and CEO Jørgen Hallundbæk pioneered a technology that would be a revelation to the oil and gas industry and form the basis of a multinational business with a workforce of nearly 1,000 professionals in 50 countries. Welltec operates with an entrepreneurial, can-do mindset and is constantly assessing situations and trends to provide cutting-edge products and services.

Sustainability is a core component of Welltec corporate strategy, and the company has been engaged in the fight against climate change for the past 25 years. Safety and environmental protection are paramount, with an advanced IT infrastructure and continuous training central to this focus.

The company is a trusted partner to its clients, providing them with innovative well interventions and completions, aimed at reducing carbon footprints and supporting all phases of a well’s life from appraisal to plug and abandonment. More recently, Welltec has turned its attention towards renewables and geothermal resources by developing and adapting its technology.

Welltec attracts top talent and its teams take initial crude concepts to ground-breaking market solutions in record time. Its technology is deployed throughout the world by a truly international operations organization. Clients are assured of exacting standards of quality and safety as the business develops and manufactures everything in-house, including equipment and spare parts.

For its role in climate change transitions for the energy industry, the CFI.co judging panel presents Welltec with the 2020 award for Most Innovative Technology Solutions (Europe).

About Welltec

A global technology company, Welltec develop and provide efficient hi-tech solutions to the energy sector. Their cutting-edge products and services are designed to optimize the performance and integrity of a well, offering the most innovative thinking in completions and interventions.

Versatile and lightweight solutions are based on advanced engineering, clean technology, and a determination to enhance safety, while reducing environmental risks, fuel consumption and carbon footprints.

Welltec services are routinely deployed in all types of onshore and offshore well environments, including the most extreme and hostile ones, such as: deepwater, subsea, extended reach, high-yield, heavy oil and unconventional gas well environments.

With sustainability at the forefront, the company continues to push the boundaries of conventional technology, and it is through this bravery and pioneering attitude it seeks to ensure a strong future for stakeholders: the industry, clients and employees.

With its entrepreneurial and innovation spirit, the company is well positioned to successfully work in the geothermal sector.

Source: CFI.co, company release

In a release, U.S.-based GreenFire Energy Inc. announced the completion of the world’s first field-scale demonstration of closed-loop geothermal energy production. The demonstration was performed using an inactive well at the Coso geothermal field in Coso, California, USA. A $1.48 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) and cash contributions from other funders financed the demonstration. GreenFire Energy’s comprehensive final report to the CEC, Closed-Loop Geothermal Demonstration Project, is now available to the public.

The project demonstrated that GreenFire Energy’s closed-loop technology can run successfully at field-scale and also generated data to verify the company’s modeling of technical performance in a variety of real-world applications. The project extracted heat, using both water and supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) as alternative working fluids, either of which can be optimized for performance depending on site-specific conditions. The project also showed the ability of closed-loop geothermal technology to retrofit idle geothermal wells to become productive and validated the further development of GreenLoop technology for use in hot, dry rock geothermal resources where conventional geothermal systems cannot be employed.

The report concludes that GreenFire Energy’s closed-loop technology could significantly assist the state in meeting its goals for renewable energy production in general and for geothermal power specifically. Equally important, California’s geothermal resources may provide enough stable power to offset the intermittency of wind and solar power as they become a larger portion of California’s energy portfolio.

Key conclusions from the project as detailed in the Final Report to the CEC include:

• Closed-loop technology shows promise for large-scale geothermal projects in hot, deep geothermal resources,
• Closed-loop technology can be used to make some unproductive hydrothermal wells productive,
• Both water and sCO₂ can be effectively used in closed-loop systems as the working fluid, and
• Various techno-economic full commercial-scale systems have been modeled using valid technical assumptions and modeling.

“The California Energy Commission is pleased to have funded GreenFire Energy’s closed-loop pilot project and to learn that this innovative new technology can enhance existing geothermal projects in California as well as create opportunities where conventional geothermal does not exist,” said Commissioner Karen Douglas, California Energy Commission. “Achieving 100 percent clean energy in our state requires the type of new ideas and approaches this effort represents.”

“This field-scale demonstration validates GreenFire Energy’s research leading to the creation of our ‘GreenLoop’ geothermal heat transport technology. Closed-loop geothermal  has tremendous potential for electric power generation from vast, and otherwise unproductive, hot, dry rock resources as well as for a variety of other high-value special applications. The field-scale technical data obtained from this demonstration project validates our plans to turn this potential into reality,” said Joseph Scherer, chief executive officer, GreenFire Energy Inc.

The Closed-Loop Geothermal Demonstration Project is available at: https://www.greenfireenergy.com/research/

Source: Company release by email

Yesterday, June 15th at noon local time, the leading Mexican geothermal developers presented their proposals to participate in the long-awaited PGM, managed by the National Institute of Electricity and Clean Energies (INEEL), who shall evaluate the technical and economic specifications of the proposals.

The Bidding process, initially launched in 2018, was resumed earlier this year, after being declared void in September 2019, leaving a panorama of skepticism among the sector. Fortunately, the hard work of INEEL, Nacional Financiera (NAFIN) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) generated the needed inertia to keep the PGM on the national agenda and make it a reality.

The proposal reception was carried out by Georgina Izquierdo, General Director of INEEL and by Alfonso Aragón, Geothermal Manager, who reviewed the general content of each of the proposals at a public event throughout Zoom, before admitting them.

The participation and enthusiasm for the financial risk mitigation mechanism in the exploratory stage of geothermal energy in Mexico were overwhelming. Proposals were received from major players in the sector in the country, in the following areas:

• By the Federal Electricity Commission, to:
  • The San Marcos exploration area in Jalisco;
  • The Los Negritos exploration area in Michoacán; and
  • The expansion of Las Tres Vírgenes geothermal field in Baja California Sur.
• By Grupo Dragón, a subsidiary of Grupo Salinas, for the expansion of the geothermal field Domo de San Pedro in Nayarit.
• By Grupo Carso, for the geothermal areas Airport II in Baja California, and Celaya in Guanajuato.
• By Mexxus RG, for El Ocotillo geothermal area in Nayarit.
• By Storengy, for Las Derrumbadas geothermal area in Puebla.

The term to award the winners of the PGM is projected for next August 21st, and the beginning of the drilling is expected by the end of 2020, after negotiation and execution of the agreements. A task that is easier said than done, but which will undoubtedly involve new challenges.

The submission of these proposals confirms the enormous interest of the geothermal industry in Mexico and its high potential, despite the complicated panorama the energy sector in Mexico faces, notably aggravated by the current health emergency caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

It is also a sign of the continuous effort and commitment of the main public and private, national and international cooperation actors to promote Mexican geothermal energy and is a clear, and necessary, example that, with political will and work aiming to a clear goal, beneficial things can be achieved for everyone, the Country in first place.

We thank Michelle Ramírez Bueno, technical advisor at GIZ Energy Program in Mexico for the information. She has been instrumental in getting this program off the ground with the partners to the program and we happy to see things moving again in Mexico.