GRC Geothermal Pioneer Award 2015 for Prof. Alfredo Lahsen, Chile

Professor Alfredo Lahsen received the Geothermal Pioneer Award 2015 given by the Geothermal Resources Council at the recently held GRC Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada.  Prof. Alfredo Lahsen, is an academic with the Department of Geology of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile, and researcher CEGA.

He received this award for his pioneering research on geothermal activity in Chile, the training of specialists and promoting the advancement of renewable energy in the country, the Geothermal Resources Council recognized the academic Department of Geology, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, U. Chile, and researcher CEGA.

“It was a great honor to receive this distinction. I am proud to see that from outside the United States, evidence shows that a one has dedicated his life to develop a certain type of resource that is abundant in our country and has been little used. It is a very satisfying recognition. ”

With these words, Professor Alfredo Lahsen shared with the university community lived experience recently at the annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), on September 22 in the city of Reno in Nevada.

The gloss of the award received makes distinction to “a lifetime of achievement in geothermal studies of Los Andes and the formation of generations of scientists in this discipline in Latin America.”

Lahsen was the first geologist in our country in a preliminary assessment of Chile’s geothermal resources, which resulted in a potential of 16,000 MW that can be used for power generation.

In this regard, he emphasized the academic work of the University of Chile in this area. “When I joined this university, was the only national body dedicated to investigate this type of resource. We were us, the University of Chile, the pioneering institution. In it we have been able to develop our thinking concerns what may be good for the country. It’s great that the research projects at the University of Chile in the service of the country and are of national interest “.

Reflecting on the progress made in this field, Prof. Lahsen said it is good news that in northern Chile “is taking seriously a project to install a 48 MW geothermal power plant geothermal area of ??the hill pavilion It is within Antofagasta, in charge of an international electrical company in the Green Power with Enap.”

The academic added that “it would be important that the authorities took seriously that it is a really viable resource, considering that we import a high percentage of energy. Fossil fuels are all imported, coal, gas, etc. Therefore worth considering for its development. ” This, he said, considering that there are global experiences of countries along the Ring of Fire that already make use of this energy, like the US, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, The Savior.

“In El Salvador, said the professor, generating electricity with geothermal resources reaches 20 percent of electricity production”. Meanwhile, “Chile, he added, it has a large section of the volcanic belt that is not being exploited,” he reflected, with the hope that governments around the country have in the future a long-term decisions in terms of energy.”

Source: Universidad de Chile