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New project re-awakens interest in geothermal in the Yukon, Canada

New project re-awakens interest in geothermal in the Yukon, Canada On the Takhini River - Yukon, Canada (Source: Flickr, CC, By: Jenn)
Alexander Richter 6 Mar 2017

Geothermal interest is re-awakening in the Yukon Territory in Canada with a new project exploring the possibility of a geothermal power project at the Takhini Hot Springs.

The territory of Yukon in Canada has over the years looked into geothermal energy as a source of power. Now a new project is being proposed, this time for power generation. Researchers plan to drill a 1,000 metres deep well near the Takhini Hot Springs, according to statements at a recent conference on the Future of Arctic Entrepreneurship in Whitehorse, as reported by CBC.

“The objective is to go deep enough to measure the heat that’s being radiated by the planet,” said Maurice Colpron, head of Bedrock geology at the Yukon Geological Survey.

“The first (test well) would actually be a little shallower, around 500 metres and that would be sometime this summer. Our plan would be to follow up with a second well that could be as deep as a kilometre. Hopefully that could happen in fall, or perhaps next winter.”

The Takhini Hot Springs is currently used for recreational purposes and the project would still have to be approved bythe Ta’an Kwäch’än Council (First Nation).

The well is expected to cost more than $300,000.

The Geological Survey of the Yukon is now looking at 36 potential sites for the project and there is commitment of federal science funding through Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development.

There has been interest in geothermal energy development in the Yukon over the past few years and there are other

The Takhini Hot Springs have so far been used for recreational purposes. However, there has been increasing research into geothermal power in Yukon in recent years.

Another group, Barkley Project Group is working with another First Nation to assess geothermal potential in Southern Yukon and a test well is being planned near Ross River.

Attention: an earlier version of the report was referring to the Con-Mine project, a heating project in the city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories as being located in the Yukon. That was a mistake for which we apologise and herewith provide for the corrected version of the article.

Source: CBC