ADELE MANZELLA, CNR-IGG

OPPORTUNITIES FOR

GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENT:

research targets, needs and

gaps

CNR - Institute for Geosciences

and Earth Resources,

Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy

manzella@igg.cnr.it

Opportunities for geothermal development

Research targets, needs and gaps

Why

Geothermal

Needs&Gaps

in Geothermal

Research

efforts

Why Geothermal Energy

What have been achieved so far? Is it the best we can do?

The resource is vast and ubiquitous

and has a corresponding large

potential for utilization.

The basis of geothermal energy is

the immense heat content of the

earth’s interior: the Earth is slowly

cooling down. Since billions of years

the heat in the Earth Crust is

constantly supplied by the decay of

natural radioactive isotopes or the

cooling of hot, shallow magmatic

bodies.

WHY GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

> 5000 °C

> 3000 °C

> 1000 °C

~ 30 °C/km

WHY GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

0 - 500 m

500 – 5000 m

More than 5000 m

Mostly for Direct uses of heat Borehole Heat Exchanger

Power generation – Heat&Power generation Conventional technologies – EGS (Engineered Geothermal Systems)

EGS – Supercritical fluids Future perspectives

Dry/hydrothermal Shallow Reservoir

Hydrothermal Systems: shallow and deep reservoir

Hot deep dry/wet rock reservoir

Depth

Depending on the depth and the physical properties of the resource, the heat&power production, the upfront cost and the appropriate utilization technology may vary.

The two main lines of geothermal

energy utilization, electric power

generation and direct use of heat,

are currently producing more than

60 TWhe with 10 GWe of installed

capacity, and about 300 TJ/yr with

30 GWth

And are constantly growing.

WHY GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Geothermal power production by region (Future trend IEA Tech. Roadmap)

Bertani, 2012

Not depending, directly or

undirectly, on sun, geothermal may

produce 24 hours per day:

a base-load energy like fossil and

nuclear sources

WHY GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Load factor for power plants of different technology

0

20

40

60

80

100

Geo

ther

mal

Nuc

lear

Con

v. T

herm

al

Bio

mas

s

Hyd

ro

Win

d

Sol

ar

Lo

ad

fa

cto

r (%

)

Power generation as well as direct

use already contribute to the

reduction of CO2 emissions.

Further deployment , depending on

future growth rates, could reduce

CO2 emission even more

significantly.

WHY GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

From IPCC, 2008

CO2 savings using geothermal water in Reykjavik (Iceland) compared to other energy sources

Wh

y ge

oth

erm

al e

ne

rgy

Power Generation Geothermal energy offers many advantages

Technology features Environment

Electricity generation

costs

Current costs

Base load

stability Maturity CO2

Footprint

(land use) CHP

potential Technical potential

Capacity

factor

Favorable Not favorable

Geothermal Conventional hydrothermal

EGS

Wind

Photovoltaic

Biomass

Small hydro

Da Bertani, 2009

Wh

y ge

oth

erm

al e

ne

rgy

Heat Generation Geothermal energy may play an important role for space conditioning and industrial processes

12,2

5,2

39

36

8

Primary Energy in Italy 2010

Renewable Electricity import

19

81

Final Energy Use in Italy 2010

Electrical Thermal

Needs and gaps

What is required for the expansion of geothermal energy, to increase the

number of projects as well as the variety of uses

The resource is vast and ubiquitous

and has a corresponding large

potential for utilization.

NEEDS&GAPS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

> 5000 °C

> 3000 °C

> 1000 °C

~ 30 °C/km

However, only a fraction can be

used with actual technology, where

a carrier (water in the liquid phase

or steam) may "transfer" the heat

from deep hot zones to or near the

surface, thus giving rise to

geothermal resources.

Direct heat exchange is limited.

Ne

ed

s an

d G

aps

Ultimate goal Increase the share by increasing the exploitable volumes

Increase exploitable volumes

Reduce risk of not

finding permeabilit

y

Reduce costs

Thanks to the high capacity factor, the

total cost (LCOE) of geothermal power

production is comparable or cheap if

compared to those of others

renewables.

However, the capital, up-front costs

remain too high, due to the scarcity of

on-site data, the difficulty to forecast

the production prior to drill combined

with the high drilling costs.

The real geothermal potential is

scarcely known, it is seldom defined in

detail by the countries and is not

properly introduced in the Energy

Plans

NEEDS&GAPS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

REQUIREMENTS

A comprehensive identification of resources and opportunities, as well as

an accessible collection of data and information

A clear and easy to follow regulation for authorizations in the exploration, drilling and exploitation phases of the project

The promotion and dissemination of technology, values, economics

Research and technological development

Research efforts

Targets, actual projects and actions

Tech

no

logy

& r

ese

arch

eff

ort

s Exploration and investigation technology: Improvement of the probability of finding an unknown geothermal reservoir and better characterize known reservoir, optimizing exploration and modeling of the underground prior to drill. Require also clear terminology, methodology and guidelines for the assessment of geothermal potential. It will result in an increased success rate. Drilling technology: improvements on conventional approaches to drilling such as more robust drill bits, innovative casing methods, better cementing techniques for high temperature, improved sensors, electronic capable of operating at higher temperature in downhole tools, revolutionary improvements utilizing new methods of rock penetration. It will result in reducing the drilling cost and it will allow to access deep and hot regions. Power conversion technology: improving heat-transfer performance for low temperature fluid, developing plant design with high efficiency and low parasitic losses. It will increase the available resource basis to the huge low-temperature regions, not only those having favorable geological conditions.

Tech

no

logy

& r

ese

arch

eff

ort

s Operation technology: increasing production flow rate by targeting specific zones for stimulation, improving heat-removal efficiency in fractured rock system. Refine stimulation methods (permeability enhancement) for Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) and reduce the risk associated with induced seismicity. It will lead to an immediate cost reduction increasing the output per well and extending reservoir operating life.

Unconventional Geothermal Systems (UGR) technology: emerging activities to harness energy from nowadays non-economic reservoir would make significant progress with qualified input from research. in particular, reservoirs with supercritical fluids (fluids in the thermodynamic area above the critical temperature and pressure) and geopressurized reservoirs (deep sedimentary basins where fluids show high pressure and are rich of chemical elements or gases). This includes, beside peculiar power conversion and reservoir technology, also Operation & Maintenance techniques in aggressive geothermal environments, since they require specific solutions for corrosion and scaling problems. It will lead to an overall increase in power production

Tech

no

logy

& r

ese

arch

eff

ort

s

Management technology: retrieve, simulate and monitor geothermally relevant reservoir parameters that influence the potential performance and long-term behavior. It includes the development of a Zero-emission technology, by mean of the total reinjection of fluid (and gases) within the reservoir without cooling and secondary effects. It will secure the sustainable production achieved by using the correct production rates, taking into account the local resource characteristics (field size, natural recharge rate, etc.), extending the reservoir operating life and producing a benefit for the environment.

www.eera-set.eu

European Energy Research

Alliance Aim: accelerate development of new energy technologies

− Harmonisation of national and EC programmes, decrease fragmentation

− Strengthen, expand and optimise research capabilities

− Draw on results from fundamental research

− Mature technologies to hand over to industry driven research (industry groupings)

Build upon well accepted Strategic Research Agenda (SRA)

Link to Industry Initiatives

Create virtual Centres of Excellence

International Collaboration

JOINT PROGRAMME on GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

www.eera-set.eu

The goal of the JPGE is to contribute to the achievement of the SET Plan objectives, streamlining and coordinating national R&D programmes, accelerating the targeted development and maturing of next generation geothermal technology in order to provide industry with all the elements required for its large-scale and cost-effective deployment. This target can be reached only through the application of new cost-effective technologies able to enhance the production of the already identified resources, to discover new untapped hydrothermal systems and to develop non hydrothermal systems.

The GEISER (Geothermal Engineering Integrating Mitigation of Induced Seismicity in Reservoirs) project started at the beginning of the year 2010, with a funding of € 5.3 Mio granted for 3.5 years Goal: to develop strategies to fulfil the task of the stimulation and improve the hydraulic properties of the geothermal reservoir without producing large earthquakes that pose a threat to buildings and disturb the public.

International Projects

• Analysis of induced seismicity • Understanding the geomechanics

and processes involved in induced seismicity

• Consequences of induced seismicity • Strategies for the mitigation of

induced seismicity

The resource assessment in the context of Geo-ELEC

Fitting to the aim of Geo-ELEC

Build resource assessment of Europe for geothermal power

Time horizons of 2020 and beyond

Build on existing methodologies

Proposed assessment methodology

Presentation on pan-european scale (WebGIS with resource potential in map

view)

International Projects

GEOTHERMAL ERA NET

The GEOTHERMAL ERA NET will Minimise the fragmentation geothermal research in Europe Build on European know-how and who-to utilize geothermal energy Contribute to a framework to realise large opportunities in the

utilization of geothermal energy through joint activities

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY offers opportunities for

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Reducing dependence on fossil fuels for energy use

Improving quality of life

Growing the low-Carbon technology industry and creating employment opportunities

International Collaboration

• Lay groundwork to create a European Geothermal Database

• Exchange information on the status of geothermal energy

• Recommend measures to strengthen European geothermal development meet goals set out in National Renewable Energy Action Plans and other country specific legislation and plans

• Utilize synergies at regional and pan-European level

• Achieve a critical mass to address cross-thematic research targets

• Define possible schemes and barriers for the joint activities and recommend practical solutions.

Objectives (1/2)

• Prepare and execute transnational funding activities

• Increase transnational collaboration in research training and mobility

• Gain a clear understanding of the principal stakeholders

• Communicate with principal stakeholders and enhance public awareness on the added value and benefits of geothermal scientific and policy issues.

• Prepare the ground for the future formulation of a common European action plan for geothermal energy technology research, development, deployment and innovation program.

Objectives (2/2)

Work packages

Ge

os

ys

tem

Dri

llin

g

Mate

rials

Te

ch

nic

al

Sys

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s

Baker Hughes

gebo

The Collaborative Research Program

gebo –

Geothermal Energy and

High-Performance Drilling

• start: February 2009, runs until 2014

• seven universities, research institutes and an industry partner (Baker Hughes) in Lower Saxony (Northern Germany)

• 32 research projects

• four focus areas: Geosystem, Drilling Technology, Materials and Technical Systems

• funded by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Germany and Baker Hughes, Celle, Germany

National Projects

National Projects

E&I technologies

TOWARD THE FUTURE

Optimised drilling engineering

process using the available

information from field measurement

Advanced volume-based visualization technology

Exploration workflow

Well design parametrization

Modelling-while-drilling,

interactive redesign and

re-engineering of the well path

Fluid circulation and temperature distribution detection

Interactive location of the optimal well

path Real-time monitoring

while drilling

SAVE BOTH SIGNIFICANT TIME AND EXPENSE IN THE

VERY COSTLY DRILLING PROCESS,

ALLOW THE MINIMUM IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT

WHILE PROVIDING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE

ACCESSED RESOURCE

Final goal

This would

Political challenges

to invest in data collection, providing the funding

for an extensive exploration of the underground in

areas where data are few and/or potential is high

to face the risk of the first exploratory well /

insurance

Technical challenge

to create the systems and technologies that will

streamline and optimize the sophisticated and

complex workflow of a geothermal project

Logistical and organizational challenge

to create the units and the processes within the

geothermal community

and now… let’s talk about research Waiting for more opportunities

Targets, needs and gaps