Geothermal Energy
Geothermal Energy
source: http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/energy/resources/geothermal-energy-resourceshttps://arena.gov.au/about/what-is-renewable-energy/geothermal/
What is geothermal energy?
The Promise of Geothermal Energy in Australia
How is geothermal energy used in Australia?
How Much Energy is Possible?
Geothermal energy uses
Limits to Geothermal Energy Developments
Australian Geothermal Projects
What is geothermal energy?
Geothermal energy is stored as heat in the earth.
The heat is generated by the natural decay over millions of years of radiogenic elements including uranium, thorium and potassium.
Geothermal energy can be drawn from the hot water circulating among rocks below the earth’s surface, or by pumping cold water into the hot rocks and returning the heated water to the surface. This can drive steam turbines to produce electricity.
The Promise of Geothermal Energy in Australia
Geothermal energy holds the promise of being a renewable energy source that could operate 24 hours a day, providing baseload power for Australian homes and industries. Geothermal energy can be used for heating and cooling purposes. There are a number of buildings, residential homes and swimming pools that currently use geothermal for these purposes. Australia has considerable geothermal energy potential.
How is geothermal energy used in Australia?
In Australia, two types of geothermal projects are being developed:- enhanced geothermal systems (EGS or hot rocks)
- hot sedimentary aquifers (HSA).
How Much Energy is Possible?
It is estimated that one per cent of the geothermal energy shallower than five kilometres and hotter than 150°C could supply Australia's total energy requirements for 26 000 years (based on 2004-05 figures).
Geothermal energy uses
Geothermal energy is heat contained within in the earth. Australia has great potential for geothermal energy to be used for electricity generation and for direct use applications. Electricity can be generated using temperatures as low as 100°C, although higher temperatures than this may be required for larger scale production. For direct use applications, temperatures of 30°C and above can be used in industry, agriculture and for heating and cooling of residential buildings
Limits to Geothermal Energy Developments
Currently drilling technology limits economic development of geothermal resources to a maximum depth of about five kilometres. Thus companies are exploring for regions of elevated temperatures at five kilometres deep or less. The temperature at five kilometres depth varies across the continent due to a range of geologic factors. It is possible to identify areas of higher potential through the use of a variety of geoscience data.Australian Geothermal Projects
| Project | Location | State | Company | Inferred Resource (Petajoules) |
Inferred Resources Uncertainty (+/- PJ) |
Indicated Resource (Petajoules) |
Measured Resource (Petajoules) |
Play Type |
ASX Report Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parachilna Geothermal Play |
150km north of Port Augusta |
South Australia | Torrens Energy |
780 000 | 70 000 | EGS | 15.08.2008 | ||
| Olympic Dam Geothermal Energy Project |
Olympic Dam, SA |
South Australia | GreenRock Energy |
116 770 | EGS | 27.08.2008 | |||
| The Cooper Basin Project |
Innamincka | South Australia | Geodynamics | 230 000 | 1800 | EGS | 21.10.2008 | ||
| Anglesea Geothermal Play |
Geelong | Victoria | Greenearth Energy |
220 000 | 40 000 | EGS | 4.12.2008 | ||
| Paralana Geothermal Play |
Flinders Range | South Australia | Petratherm | 230 000 | 40 000 | EGS | 20.12.2008 | ||
| Wombat Geothermal Play |
Gippsland | Victoria | Greenearth Energy |
3600 | 800 | HSA | 5.01.2009 | ||
| Limestone Coast Project: Rendelsham Geothermal Play |
Mt Gambier | South Australia | Panax | 17 000 | HSA | 21.01.2009 | |||
| Limestone Coast Project: Rivoli-St Clair Geothermal Play |
Beachport | South Australia | Panax | 53 000 | HSA | 21.01.2009 | |||
| Limestone Coast Project: Penola Geothermal Play |
40km north Mt Gambier |
South Australia | Panax | 89 000 | 11 000 | HSA | 18.02.2009 | ||
| Limestone Coast Project: Tantanoola Geothermal Play |
Northwest Mt Gambier |
South Australia | Panax | 130 000 | HSA | 31.03.2009 | |||
| Roxby Geothermal Project |
40km north Port Augusta |
South Australia | Southern Gold | 260 000 | EGS | 2.06.2009 | |||
| Tirrawarra Geothermal Project |
Moomba | South Australia | Panax | 34 500 | 11 000 | HSA | 07.07.2009 | ||
| Frome Project | Frome Basin | South Australia | Geothermal Resources |
84 000 | EGS | 13.07.2009 | |||
| Lemont Geothermal Play |
Midlands Area |
Tasmania | KUTh Energy | 260 000 | EGS | 14.07.2009 | |||
| Perth Permit | Metropolitan Perth | Western Australia | GreenRock Energy |
29 960 | HSA | 28.07.2009 | |||
| Geelong Geothermal Power Project |
Geelong | Victoria | Greenearth Energy |
17 000 | HSA | 17.08.2009 | |||
| Nicholas-Fingal Geothermal Play |
Fingal Valley | Tasmania | KUTh Energy | 101 000 | EGS | 9.03.2010 | |||
| Port Augusta Project Area |
Port Augusta | South Australia | Torrens Energy |
70 000 | EGS | 15.11.2010 | |||
| Total Resource | 2 725 830 | 158 000 | 23 800 |