Clarke Lake geothermal project in BC, Canada going ahead
Options for site location, Clarke Lake Geothermal Project (source: Pre-feasibility report/ GeoScience BC)
Alexander Richter
17 Feb 2021
With federal funding in place, the Clarke Lake geothermal project is moving ahead with a planned drilling start in June 2021.
Local news report that, the Fort Nelson First Nation has secured federal funding for all drilling and testing for the Clarke Lake geothermal project.
With site preparation already underway, the plan is to start drilling the first well for the project in June 2021, so the First nation in its statement on Facebook.
“This 100% FNFN-owned project will reinvigorate our regional economy and create economic opportunities in clean energy. A variety of employment and training opportunities will be available for Fort Nelson First Nation members, and some are available immediately.”, so the First Nation.
We previously reported on the project, which is owned by two first nations. Planned as a two-phase project, it targets an initial power generation capacity of 7 MW with a possible expansion to 15 MW in a second stage. The project is planning to utilize the nearby depleted Clarke Lake natural gas reservoir.
As the oldest natural gas production area in British Columbia, Canada, there is a lot of information available about the Clarke Lake gas reservoir and its geology, so Alaska Highway News last week. This way a lot of the risk and work required for standard exploration work can be eliminated. The pre-feasibility report (pdf) on the project was done by Geoscience BC.
At a depth of around 2,000-2,500 meters, temperatures are expected at around 120 degrees Celsius, which requires the set up of binary cycle technology for power generation.
The investment cost is estimated at CAD 100 million (around US$80 million).
The estimated $100 million in project is planned to be operating by the end of 2024.
Source: Alaska Highway News
