Kurita Europe opens new European technology center
To provide innovative solutions for geothermal, Kurita Europe is opening a new technology center focused on geothermal energy in Viersen, Germany.
Kurita, a global player in the geothermal market for water treatment services, announced the opening of its new European Technology Center (KETC) in Viersen, Germany, on September 23, 2021, as reported in a release shared with ThinkGeoEnergy. With this state-of-the-art R&D building opening, the company expands its capabilities in Europe with an essential focus on geothermal applications.
The increasing capacity of geothermal sources, district heating, and power generation enlarge the need for industry’s innovative technologies.
Geothermal energy is hidden in deeper parts of the crust and the reservoirs composed of rocks and fluids. It is sustainable, reliable, and environmentally friendly; although limited to areas close to tectonic limits, the technology improvements in the possible uses of this resource directly impact the build of new facilities and the expansion of the market.
Naturally, these technologies are not free of challenges. Due to the soil perforation and the diversity of mineralization in geological formations – which changes based on the regional geology and tectonism- geothermal sites can face several and severe problems in the process.
Corrosion and scaling problems in geothermal facilities start from the production well and proceed with production line, brine gathering system, heat exchangers, brine injection system, and re-injection wells. Hot brine with the characteristics of high salinity, high gas content, and low pH tends to cause corrosion problems in the system. On the other hand, different reservoir types can create different mineral compositions under certain physical conditions. Due to the change of pressure and pH in production well along the borehole, brine being cooled down in heat exchangers, differential temperature and pressure through the production and injection lines cause instability and oversaturation for dissolved minerals within the flow. Once the saturation level of the mineral is disturbed, it starts to precipitate. This mineral precipitation leads to scaling problems in the borehole, pipelines, valves, pumps, heat exchangers, etc. Some significant scale types may cause breakdown subjects to maintenance in a geothermal system.
For geothermal technologies, it is essential to know brine characteristics and process details. With the help of this technical base, the geothermal brine can be treated to avoid any damage or downtime both in the downhole and surface. Kurita’s geothermal product range covers the treatment of different process zones, and it presents innovative solutions for production wells, pipelines, equipment, heat exchangers, cooling tower, and re-injection wells.
Kurita Geothermal Technology aims to support the energy of the future by having a solid technical background, several references as field service and support, a comprehensive product and application range, online systems for digital performance monitoring, and an easily accessible supply chain.
The applied R&D team of Kurita Europe provides significant projects for developing innovative solutions as it helps solve problems in the geothermal process. Collecting ideas directly from the field, conducting intense preliminary research, product development, stability, and performance tests ensure significant contributions to academic and industrial-oriented literature.
KETC is the new R&D centre of Kurita Europe located in Viersen, Germany, and opens its door on September 23rd. The geothermal labs in KETC are equipped with various equipment capable of enduring aggressive conditions and thus simulating the geothermal conditions at lab scale. Commonly observed conditions such as high pressure, high temperature, and high salinity levels in the geothermal field present the demanding but essential task of mimicking this environment. Kurita accomplishes starting from bench-top experiments and working the way up to complex pilot plants by using the facilities of KETC labs.
Progress on the construction of Kurita Europe Technology Center (KETC), Viersen/ Germany
Kurita geothermal experts are dedicated to the research and revelation of the geochemistry peculiarities from starting point in the first perforation and test to improving daily working life once the plant is in full running conditions. Kurita’s team is tackling the problems arising in critical equipment surfaces through the deep academic knowledge and understanding of such environments. In addition, Kurita’s collaborations with universities and research institutes help to strengthen its capabilities in the experimental geothermal area and expand this knowledge on the scaling and corrosion treatments.
Learn more about the company Kurita Europe and its services for geothermal here and contact the company.
Source: Company release