Canadian firm with new solution to utilise oil & gas wells for geothermal power
A Canadian firm has announced having developed a new technology that would allow utilising low temperature geothermal utilising waste heat and water from abandoned oil and gas wells for power generation.
Earlier this month, Alberta/ Canada–based Terrapin Geothermics announced a new innovative technology to generate clean, renewable and reliable power for Alberta. Terrapin has developed a proprietary low temperature geothermal engine capable of generating renewable electricity from industrial waste heat streams. It can also capture the geothermal energy available in Alberta’sabandoned, suspended or orphaned oil and gas wells and create a new clean power source for the Province.
The Terrapin Engine was developed through a collaboration between Terrapin Geothermics and the University of Alberta. A multidisciplinary team of engineers, faculty members and graduate students helped pioneer a custom built solution that converts low grade heat directly into electricity. The Terrapin Engine was specifically built to turn Alberta’s industrial waste heat sources and conventional oil & gas wells into clean power solutions to help our Province reach its economic growth potential and sustainable environment ambitions.
“Geothermal power has unique strengths and competitive advantages amongst energy renewable sources. It directly leverages Alberta’sskilled labour, conventional well infrastructure and extensive drilling expertise. Terrapin is proud to add another innovative dimension into the Alberta energy mix. Terrapin has the ability to leverage low temperature waste heat from industrial facilities and also turn the heat energy from the end-of-life wells into clean, renewable and reliable base-load power for the province.” says Sean Collins, President of Terrapin Geothermics.
Terrapin is now working with many Alberta counties and communities to map and better understand the geothermal energy and waste-heat resource potential within their regions. It’s important for Albertans to fully understand how this form of renewable energy can create local jobs, put drilling and manufacturing industries back to work, lower electricity costs and contribute to Alberta’s climate change leadership role.
The technology proposed by the company is likely a small scale ORC-binary type technology that would allow generate electricity utilising lower-temperature geothermal resources.
Source: Company Release via CNW