Sage Geosystems targeting closed loop vertical geothermal single well design

An article reporting on the collaboration between Texas-based  Sage Geosystems (TM) and Metamaterial Inc. provides details on the companies’ plans to decrease the cost of geothermal power generation. While already posted in April 2021,  it gives a great insight into the technology approach  by  Sage using a subsurface  Thermo-Electric Generator system. The expectation is that it would help to expand the number of suitable sites for geothermal development around the United States and the  world.

This clearly tackles the element of scale that remains a big hurdle for a larger share of geothermal in the global energy mix. As of today, conventional geothermal power generation is a “niche market”, so the article.

Looking  then at EGS, enhanced or engineered geothermal systems, are then described as challenging as well given the cost involved.

The article then looks into how the companies see the opportunities in tapping mid-enthalpy (150-250 degrees Celsius) dry and sedimentary rock, which is more accessible throughout  the U.S. and the world.

Sage Geosystems (TM) envisions a closed loop vertical geothermal single-well design, reducing capital cost. In addition to new dry rock locations, it could be used to recomplete underperforming hydrothermal wells and depleted deep natural gas wells. Cooled fluid is pumped from the surface down the outer ring of a double-walled tube. Heated fluid returns to the surface via the inner tube. This results in no discharge to the air of hydrogen sulfide or steam during operation and no fluid exchange or loss with the subsurface.

The company’s proprietary HeatRoot (TM) technology is thereby described to increase efficiency of systems by natural convection.

To learn more about the technology and how the company envisions its technology to make an impact, check out  the full article linked below.

Source: MetaMaterial