^ Geothermal energy in action, geyser in Iceland. This energy type is also available in less volcanic areas.
Article by Lucien Joppen
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Plans include reusing redundant oil and gas wells for heat transfer using CeraPhi’s patented technology and FWM’s wells expertise. These wells would be managed to the end of their productive life and then repurposing those suitable for geothermal energy. The other wells would be decommissioned.
CeraPhi’s international subsurface expertise and FWM’s renowned experience in well engineering and project management will now develop “game changing” geothermal energy solutions for sustainable heating and power generation in the UK, the US and Europe.
Closed loop
Karl Farrow, CeraPhi-CEO, says his company’s delivery and execution process is different to conventional geothermal approach, and is geared for modular and scalable projects for power, heating and cooling of cities, the repurposing of oil and gas wells and and e-mobility, among other uses.
“Our technology uses a single well in a closed loop environment, reducing risk and lowering costs while increasing efficiency in the development of deep geothermal systems. Our technology and processes are about multiple scalable projects and commerciality. As the first fully integrated geothermal delivery company in the UK, we are excited about what’s ahead.”
Giant battery
Nick Ford, managing director of Fraser Well Management, says the company, with bases in Great Yarmouth, Rotterdam and Aberdeen, had been looking at geothermal projects as an increasingly active sector for about six years.
“We see the demand for sustainable and reliable green energy, and deep geothermal is key to delivering this goal. At Fraser Well Management, well construction and project management are key areas of the services we provide. Our collaboration with CeraPhi is a great opportunity to contribute our skills and experience to the energy transition, in a different market.”
Mr. Farrow adds: “Geothermal is the only true baseload energy available anywhere and everywhere globally. 99 per cent of the earth’s volume has temperatures more than 1000-degrees, making the earth one giant battery with enough clean renewable energy to last billions of years.”
Plug and play
CeraPhi Energy wants to unlock this heat to deliver sustainable, continuous and totally green 24/7 baseload energy under a “plug and play” scalable technology platform.
Conventional geothermal energy has been around for decades. Geothermal energy traditionally needs water or steam “aquifers” under the earth’s surface, where, depending on its characteristics, it can be used for heating or cooling or harnessed for clean electricity. “Surprisingly and given that such a vast amount of staggering energy is trapped beneath our feet, only 15GW of energy is currently commercially produced from geothermal sources in the world today,” Farrow says.
EGS
A possible reason for this low market share might be the misconception that geothermal energy is only commercially feasible in volcanic areas. “That is not the case”, Farrow says. He claims that CeraPhi’s closed loop technology, combined with Fraser’s well expertise, allows the use of lower geothermal temperatures.
Targeting less accessible sources of geothermal energy (depth, absence of water) is already happening, also with the use of closed loops. This mode of energy generation is called Enhanced or Engineered Geothermal Systems. By employing this technology, geothermal energy has become more prevalent although it still is marginal compared to other renewable energy sources.
