EC support to geothermal energy research and demonstration

Jeroen SchuppersEuropean Commission, DG Research

ENGINE Launching Conference

Orléans 13 February 2006

Outline

Current status of geothermal energy use in the EU

Current status of EU geothermal RTD&D

Towards the 7th Framework Programme

Geothermal power:current trend

EurObserv’ER 2005

Cumulated announced efforts will bring European Union capacity up to

988 MW, i.e. a little less than the objective set by the European Commission

MW

e

Geothermal heat:current trend

For medium to low temperature heat an increase of 50 MW per year until 2010 seems a reasonable assumption, which will bring capacity up to 2 360 MWth

Geothermal heat pumps could reach 8 000 MW capacity in 2010 if average annual growth rate of 10% is maintained

EurObserv’ER 2005

The Commission will work towards legislation on renewable energy in heating in 2006

MW

th

Highlights of current EC geothermal RTD (1)

Research: o verify the technical feasibility, cost-effectiveness and environmental

sustainability of electricity production from enhanced geothermal systems and other unconventional geothermal resources, through innovative research into exploration, resource assessment and management techniques, cheaper and more advanced drilling and stimulation technologies, and more efficient power cycles

Demonstration: o electricity generation and/or CHP generation employing innovative,

environmentally sustainable and cost competitive technologieso heating and cooling employing innovative environmentally sustainable and

cost competitive technologies, including ground coupled heat pumps

Highlights of current EC geothermal RTD (2)

EGS PILOT PLANTEuropean geothermal project for the construction of a scientific pilot plant based on an Enhanced Geothermal System

I-GET

LOW-BIN

GROUNDHIT

ENGINE

The European Test SiteSoultz-sous-Forêts

The “Graben”

SOULTZ

Black ForestVosges

1997 circulation: > 10 MW(th)

Important Milestones

3600 m150 oC

Scientific Pilot Plant2001 - 2007

5000 m200 oC

5000 m200 oC

The Scientific Pilot Plant2001 - 2007

Phase I (2001 - 2004) : The underground system

Drilling 3 directional wells to 5 km Creation & testing of the heat exchanger

Phase II (2004 - 2007) : Proof of concept & power generation

Long-term circulation through the reservoir Hook-up 1,5 Mwe to provide realistic load Pilot plant installation (6 MWe)

Swiss Deep Heat Mining Project

IEA Geothermal Implementing Agreement

oAnnex I: Environmental ImpactsoAnnex III: Enhanced Geothermal SystemsoAnnex IV: Deep Geothermal ResourcesoAnnex VII: Advanced Geothermal Drilling TechniquesoAnnex VIII: Direct Use of Geothermal Energy

International co-operation

NOW AVAILABLE!New EGS Project Handbook from ANNEX III

Enhanced Geothermal SystemProject Management Decision Assistant

http//www.iea-gia.org

The EGS challenge

oexploration

oresource assessment

oresource management

oadvanced drilling

oadvanced stimulation

oefficient power cycles

oenvironmental impact

RESOURCE USE

COSTRISK

0

10

20

30

40

50

Dril

led

Met

ers

per

day

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Pri

ce (

Ecu

)Eur

o/M

ete

r

1990 1995 2000 2005

The learning curvemeters drilled per day and cost per meter

Source: T. Hettkamp, J. Baumgärtner, D. Teza, T. Gandy & R..Baria 2004

De

ep

en

ing

GP

K-1

19

92

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m 2

00

2 t

o 3

59

0 m

GP

K-2

19

95

dri

llin

g t

o 3

88

3 m

De

ep

en

ing

GP

K-2

19

99

fro

m 3

88

3 t

o 5

08

4 m

GP

K-3

20

03

dir

ect

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al d

rilli

ng

to

51

01

m

GP

K-4

200

4 di

rect

iona

l dri

lling

to

526

1 m

A thought on drilling cost

GPK-1

GPK-2

GPK-3

Highlights of current EC geothermal RTD (3)

EGS PILOT PLANT

I-GETIntegrated Geophysical Exploration Technologies for deep fractured geothermal systems

LOW-BINEfficient Low Temperature Geothermal Binary Power

GROUNDHITGround coupled heat pumps of High Technology

ENGINE

Highlights of current EC geothermal RTD (4)

EGS PILOT PLANT

I-GET

LOW-BIN

GROUNDHIT

ENGINEEnhanced Geothermal Innovative Network for Europe

The ENGINE challenge:

Co-ordinate ongoing research and promote the development and uptake of new technologies

Organise conferences and dedicated workshops (drilling, electricity generation & CHP)

Establish links between researchers, industry, international organisations…

Integration of scientific and technical know-how and practices

Best Practice Manual for EGS/UGS European Reference Manual with synthesis of BPM and

reference to all information, (meta)database and models collected during the CA

FROM KNOW-HOW TO SHOW-HOWFROM KNOW-HOW TO SHOW-HOW

Seventh Framework ProgrammeCommission proposal

Budget to be finalised

Structure: Specific Programmes

Ideas – Frontier research Cooperation – Collaborative research People – Human potential Capacities – Research capacity

(Euratom, JRC)

Cooperation, Energy Hydrogen and fuel cells Renewable electricity generation Renewable fuels production Renewable heating and cooling CO2 capture and storage technologies for

zero emission power generation Clean coal technologies Smart energy networks Energy efficiency and savings Knowledge for energy policy making

Seventh Framework Programme

Conclusions The EC research programme gives support to all the renewable

energy sources taking into account the research needs of the different technologies.

The main goal is to reduce the costs while increasing the availability, efficiency and reliability.

The emphasis of the RTD–part of the programme is on biomass and photovoltaics. In FP7, we hope to be able to better support also wind, geothermal, high temperature solar and ocean energy.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/future/index_en.cfm

MEANWHILE AT SOULTZ-SOUS-FORETS …