Geothermal energy has been used for thousands of years in some countries for cooking and heating, it is simply power derived from the earths natural internal heat.
This thermal energy is contained within the rock and fluids beneath the earths crust. It can be found from shallow ground to several miles below the surface, and even further down to the extremely hot molten rock called magna.
These underground reservoirs of steam and hot water can be tapped to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings directly. Historically to produce geothermal generated electricity, wells, sometimes a mile (1.6 Kilometres) deep or more, are drilled into underground reservoirs to tap steam and very hot water that drive turbines linked to electricity generators. The first geothermally generated electricity was produced in Larderello, Italy, in 1904.
At Geothermal Power Ltd, our proposal is to drill one, or more, wells vertically to 6000/7000m as an injector and two, or more, producer wells to a similar depth with 1000m distance each from the bottom hole location of the injector to give ample distance for the fluid to travel between injector hole and producer holes at depth.
The fluid will be pumped down the injector and return to surface via the 2 producer holes super-heated, in the range of 180℃ to 260℃. This water will power a combined Binary Cycle Turbine to generate electricity and also supply large volumes of heat for both commercial and domestic use.
Geothermal energy is generated in over 20 countries. The USA is the world’s largest producer. In Iceland many of the buildings and even swimming pools are heated with geothermal hot water.
Geothermal Power can be produced without burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas or oil.
There are no emissions as the hot fluid has no exposure at surface to the atmosphere.
Geothermal projects can last for over thirty years and can be safely decommissioned at minimal cost compared to the long lasting and extremely expensive costs involved in other energy solutions like Nuclear Power.
Geothermal energy is available 24/7 and therefore has no ‘blackout’ periods like solar power which is only able to generate green energy during daylight hours and wind energy which is reliant upon a set window of wind weather conditions.
Geothermal can compete with all other green energy solutions on cost and is also suitable for localised energy clusters.
The unused heat generated can be utilised in the production of Hydrogen through catalyser systems to increase efficiency of the process further.
Once drilling and completion of the well bores is completed the surface area required for the plant is small.
City centre sites with multiple heat and electrical off-takers present the largest opportunity for geothermal energy.
The use of localized high volume energy sites will reduce the demand constrictions on the grid.
District heating networks in cities can be supplied with unused heat from geothermal.
Long term price contracts can be entered into for both commercial and domestic customers which removes the uncertainty of large price variations in energy supply.