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There is no installed geothermal generating capacity as for December 2004.

 

The country’s high temperature geothermal resource areas are predominantly in the western part, principally in British Columbia and Yukon (Ghomshei, et al., 2005). Low and medium-temperature geothermal resources are present throughout Canada and growing interest in these opportunities hold promise for a bright future. Geothermal heat pumps (GHP) are now in use in all Canadian Provinces, most notably in Manitoba and Ontario, where a creative financing environment has helped investors pay back the up-front capital expenditures from substantial savings in operating costs. The geothermal heat pump market has been growing in the country at the rate of 10 to 15% annually since 2000. Geothermal heat pumps are estimated to produce about 600 million kWh (2,160 TJ/yr) of energy savings, and about 200,000 tons in reduced greenhouse gas emissions annually. Over 30,000 units were installed by 2000 and in 2004 over 3,000 new units were installed (An estimated 36,000 units have an installed capacity of 435 MWt – Lund, et al., 2004). About a third of all installed GHP systems are commercial/institutional or multiple residential.

 

Direct-use applications from hot spring resorts, mainly located in the western provinces, are estimated at 100 million kWh annually (360 TJ/yr). A total of 12 major hot spring resorts in British Columbia, Yukon and Albert are reported to have individual flow rates of 6 to 32 l/s and a total installed capacity of 10 to 15 MWt. Heated water from abandoned mines is extracted to provide heat to commercial and residential uses adjacent to the mine in several areas in Canada, estimated at 26 TJ/yr with an installed capacity of 11 MWt (Jessop, 1995). The grand total for Canada is 2,546 TJ/yr and 461 MWt of installed capacity.

 

Taken from the paper by John W. Lund, Derek H. Freeston, and Tonya L. Boyd: "World-Wide Direct Uses of Geothermal Energy 2005", published in Antalya, Turkey, 24-29 April 2005.Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2005,