Call for papers: Tracers in Deep Geothermal Systems

Contributions are now being accepted. This special issue addresses tracer investigations in geothermal systems to characterize the critical properties of geothermal reservoirs. Contributions may address new tracers or tracer test methods, and may involve single-well to multi-well tests with conservative and reactive tracers, novel tracer substances – like temperature tracing compounds and particle tracers – and environmental tracers. As tracer tests in such settings sometimes produce “strange” results and may even fail because the hydrogeological setting differs from expectations, papers addressing the reasons for anomalous results are equally welcome. Contributions utilizing chemical composition and isotope signatures to describe regional flow paths and influx from overlying and underlying strata are also sought to complement the inter-well tracer tests.

Submissions may include but are not restricted to the following topics: single-well tracer tests, multi-well tracer tests, thermal tracers, isotope tracers, thermal breakthrough, and heat exchange in reservoirs.

Guest Editors:

  •     Thomas Baumann, Technical University of Munich, Germany
  •     Mitchell Plummer, Idaho National Laboratory, USA
  •     Simone Regenspurg, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Germany

For further details, please see the special issue website (https://geothermal-energy-journal.springeropen.com/tdgs).

The REN21 Renewables 2019 Global Status Report is now available online! It gives a comprehensive overview of the state of renewable energy. The report confirms that for the fourth consecutive year, more renewable power capacity was installed than fossil fuel and nuclear power combined

We would like to thank Rana Adib, REN21 Executive Secretary, for giving us the opportunity to be the first one to explore the Global Status Report and organizing the webinar on the ‘Global Renewable Energy Transition: Who is leading?”.

Read the full report here: http://www.ren21.net/gsr-2019/

Description:
Comprehensive overview of well testing methodologies and data analysis for the behavior assessment of reservoirs for geothermal and enhanced geothermal energy systems (EGS)

Order now:
https://www.elsevier.com/books/geothermal-well-test-analysis/zarrouk/978-0-12-814946-1
and use discount code ENER319 for 30% off!

The book was few years in the making and I am sure it will be a new significant contribution to the industry. It is very applied and covers all technical aspects of the geothermal well.

Sadiq Zarrouk, Author

Innovation and the Future of Geothermal in a Low Carbon World

Each year, the Workshop brings the Geothermal community together to explore the latest challenges and opportunities and to drive the industry forward.  The 2019 Workshop will be held at the Owen G. Glenn Building, The University of Auckland.

41st Geothermal Workshop Key Dates:
17 May: Abstract Submission Open
28 Jun: Abstract Submission Deadline
01 Jul: Registration Open
01 Oct: Presenter Registration Deadline
15 Oct: Early Bird Registration Closes

25 – 27 Nov – 41st Geothermal Workshop!

This meeting is the first of its kind to be held in Canada. Organized by students and for students the event aims to bring together graduate students to post-doc fellows from Canada’s East to West coasts to discuss and share their research projects related with the field of geothermal energy.

Beyond inspirational speakers and students’ presentations, more activities are scheduled, such as a visit to the INRS Open Geothermal Lab.

There are no inscription fees for students willing to present their work. Depending on the number of attendees, travel grants might be possible to arrange. Find more information here.

Dr. Andrew Sabin is the new President of the GRC

Davis, California, USA. The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) has welcomed Dr. Andrew Sabin as the 27th President of the global geothermal energy organization, succeeding Maria Richards. Dr. Andrew Sabin works with the Navy Geothermal Program Office in Ridgecrest, California. Andy’s career has spanned more than 30 years and has included ore deposits, geotechnical, environmental and geothermal work. He earned degrees in geology from the University of Maryland, the University of Pittsburgh and the Colorado School of Mines. Like many of his colleagues in the geothermal energy community, Andy has been a long-time member and supporter of the GRC. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Geothermal Association (IGA). According to Dr. Sabin, “If someone is fortunate enough to be employed in this industry for any amount of time, participating in and then giving back to the GRC should be an expectation. I’d encourage all leaders in this industry to motivate their peers and their employees to join and then actively participate in the GRC. The costs and the time spent each year are nominal. The potential benefits to their careers and to our industry are immeasurable.”


About the Geothermal Resources Council: The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) will be celebrating 50 years of service to the global geothermal energy community in 2022. The GRC is dedicated to advancing geothermal development around the world through education, research, and outreach. For more information, please visit www.geothermal.org.

After five successful Application Rounds of the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility (GRMF) with 30 awarded projects, the Regional Geothermal Coordination Unit (RGCU) of the African Union Commission (AUC) would like to gather key facts of planned geothermal projects in Eastern Africa, in order to assess the market potential for a sixth Application Round.

The RGCU is looking for:

  • complete new geothermal projects, or
  • projects which have been rejected in the previous Applications Rounds.

The project activities can be:

  • surface studies including temperature gradient wells, or
  •  exploration drilling and testing programmes

in one of the eleven eligible GRMF countries (Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia).

Please fill the survey form until 6 March 2019 on the following link: http://185.48.158.31/limesurvey/index.php/477568?lang=en

Feel free to contact the GRMF team via the website www.grmf-eastafrica.org. The survey will take approx. 10 minutes (depending on your internet connectivity).

If the assessment for a sixth Application Round is positive, it will be announced on the GRMF website, and other channels. Furthermore, all stakeholders (including participants of this survey) as well as relevant media will be informed accordingly.

Note: All data as submitted by the participants will be kept confidential by the GRMF.

Women in Geothermal (WING) presented their inaugural awards in the 2018 GRC Annual Meeting and Expo, held in Reno, Nevada, 14-17 October 2018. The WING awards are for nominees committed to the promotion, development and education of geothermal energy; nominated by their peers for embodying WING’s core values, which are: Courageous, Empowering, Open and Caring.

Courageous Award was presented to Susan Petty, co-founder of AltaRock Energy, U.S. Susan has spent her career challenging accepted truths in EGS and working to develop breakthrough energy technologies.

Open Award was presented to Albert Genter of Electricité de Strasbourg (ES) in France, and member of the current IGA BoD. Albert is behind a lot of successful collaborations and always focuses on the strengths and skills of the men and women on his team to get projects accomplished.

Empowering Award was presented to David López, CEO of LaGeo in El Salvador. He has developed activities that encourage women empowerment in the electrical sector, and one of them is the unconditional support to the formation of WING El Salvador in June 2017.

Caring Award was presented to Nenny Saptadji of ITB in Bandung/ Indonesia. Nenny became the people’s godmother, because she not only helps her students in academia, but in many aspects, such as funding and relationships.

Women in Geothermal (WING) is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization whose aim is to promote the education, professional development, and advancement of women in the geothermal community. Founded in October 2013 at the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, WING is now represented in over 48 countries worldwide, with 14 dedicated Country Teams.

Source: http://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/women-in-geothermal-honours-outstanding-individuals-in-inaugural-awards/

The IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) held its ninth annual assembly in in Abu Dhabi, UAE on 10-13 January 2019. The Assembly is the Agency’s supreme decision-making body and brings together Heads of State, Ministers, government officials, and representatives from the private sector, civil society and other international organizations to reaffirm the global renewable energy agenda and make concrete steps to accelerate the global energy transition.

The IGA is one of the first members of the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA), initiative coordinated by IRENA, to which Ethiopia and the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) joined last October 2018, to be the 46th member, and the 33rd partner of the GGA, respectively.

In the IRENA’S ninth session, more than 1200 delegates gathered, including representatives of the countries members, to discuss key issues in the global energy transition and chart the way forward for the Agency against a backdrop of remarkable progress on deployment. During a Ministerial Roundtable, government officials examined new, disruptive innovations emerging that are changing the ways in which energy systems are configured and operate.

The last day of the assembly, the members selected Francesco La Camera to be the next Director-General of IRENA, for a term of four years. La Camera will take office on 4 April 2019, succeeding Adnan Z. Amin, who has been IRENA Director-General since 2011.

The IRENA Assembly decided also to pay tribute to the current Director General for his outstanding contribution to the establishment, development and work of IRENA, and accorded, at the conclusion of his tenure, the honorary title of Director-General Emeritus for Adnan Z. Amin. The decision recognizes the significant achievements of IRENA during Amin’s tenure, including reaching a near-universal membership of 160 Members in January 2019, when Canada joined the agency.

The IRENA Statute stipulates that membership in the agency is open to states members of the United Nations, and to regional intergovernmental economic-integration organizations. There are currently 160 states members, and other 23 states in accession.

Francesco La Camera currently serves as the Director General for Sustainable Development, Energy and Climate at the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land & Sea. He led the EU and Italian negotiation teams at the climate COP 20 in Lima and was the head of the Italian delegation to the three previous COPs. He has represented Italy in many international forums including at the EU, UNECE, UNCSD, UN Environment, and the OECD.

Source: https://irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases

Kasumi Yasukawa (AIST) and Yoonho Song (KIGAM)

The 12th Asian Geothermal Symposium (AGS12) was held at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), Daejeon, Korea on 10-12 November 2018, co-organized by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and KIGAM, with the support of the Asia-Western Pacific Regional Branch (AWPRB) of IGA. AGS12 was attended by 85 participants, and had the theme “Technology for geothermal energy use in harmony with society.” This unique international symposium aims to encourage technical information exchange to promote geothermal energy use in the world, especially in Asian region.

Prior to this symposium, a geothermal workshop “Geothermal Direct Use for a Green Economy” was held by the International Energy Agency-Geothermal Technology Collaboration Program (IEA Geothermal) on 9 November at the KIGAM campus. The participants visited Sejong Special Autonomous City to see huge ground-source heat pump (GSHP) systems on 10 November. Then the AGS12 sessions followed on 11 and 12 November. Both AGS12 and IEA workshop were open to anyone who are interested in technology related to geothermal energy use.

In the opening session of the AGS12 on Day 1 (11 November), a welcome speech was given by Dr. Yoonho Song on behalf of Dr. Bok Chul Kim, President of KIGAM, stressing that AGS12 is held at special occasion of KIGAM’s 70th anniversary of its foundation, and 100th anniversary of the Korea Geological Survey. Dr. Kasumi Yasukawa, AIST, gave the opening notes, mentioning that it is the second time to hold AGS in KIGAM and that since the last time in 2004, AIST and KIGAM have been co-sponsoring AGS with a strong partnership. During the lunch time of Day 1, the Annual General Meeting of AWPRB-IGA was held at the venue led by Dr. Toshihiro Uchida, AIST.

Topical sessions in AGS12 are “Resource Assessment” session on Day 1 and “Social Aspect” session on Day 2. The former included eight presentations from eight countries, followed by discussion on geothermal play types, led by Dr. Inga Moeck, Germany. This is the first time to provide a discussion session in AGS symposia. The concept of “play type” has its origin in petroleum industry and was introduced to geothermal industry rather recently. The categorization of geothermal reservoirs in play types seems to be quite hard, especially for high enthalpy reservoirs, but it may be better to start discussion worldwide. The latter, “Social aspect” session consists of only three presentations, but each of them is quite unique and suitable for the theme of AGS12. The first presentation was given by Dr. Adele Manzella, Italy, an invited speaker by KIGAM, titled “Dissemination and social studies for geothermal market uptake in Italy.” The session of “Social aspect” was introduced to the AGS symposia for the first time. For the program of AGS12, please visit our website:

https://www.aist.go.jp/Portals/0/fukushima/images/event/AGS12/AGS12_Program_ver3.pdf

On 10 November, AGS12 participants visited Sejong Special Autonomous City to see gigantic GSHP systems in the City Hall and research institute buildings. It should be noted that most of the government buildings have been moved from Seoul to Sejong recently. The government building complex in Sejong is divided into three zones and total building area reaches 607,555 m2. Total installed capacity of GSHP exceeds 20 MWth and covers more than 38% of heating and cooling load of the buildings. 70% of geothermal energy extraction is from borehole heat exchangers through 1190 boreholes of 200 m deep; the total length of all the wells reaches 238 km. 30% of heat exchangers are using ground water wells of around 400 m deep. Zone 1 of the building complex started its operation in 2012, Zone 2 in 2013 and Zone 3 was completed in 2014. GSHP for other public buildings including the City Hall, research institute buildings, etc., in Sejong City have also been recently installed.

After visiting Sejong, AGS12 participants enjoyed a short trip to Gapsa Temple in Gongju, where autumn color and traditional Korean architecture welcomed them.

All technical papers presented in AGS12 are uploaded to the IGA Geothermal Paper Database. Organizers are very grateful to IEA Geothermal because holding AGS symposia in conjunction with the IEA geothermal workshop attracted many participants from Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America.