geothermal power in Australia

Exploration involves finding vast blocks of "hot rocks" with fracture systems that could generate electricity through water being injected, circulated through the fractures, and being returned to surface as steam which could then be used to rotate steam turbines.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page38?oid=20361&sn=Detail |title=Big energy role for central Australia’s hot rocks |access-date=2007-05-09 |archive-date=2014-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114191922/http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page38?oid=20361&sn=Detail |url-status=dead }}

There are vast deep-seated granite systems in Central Australia that have high temperatures at depth and these have been drilled by companies such as Panax Geothermal, Geodynamics Ltd, Petratherm, Green Rock Energy and Pacific Hydro to depths of more than four kilometres.

South Australia has been described as "Australia's hot rock haven" and this renewable energy was hoped to provide an estimated 6.8% of Australia's base load power needs by 2030.

Parts of central Tasmania have been identified by KUTh Energy as having the potential to generate up to 280MW of power. Such a resource would be able to supply 25% of Tasmania's electricity needs.{{cite news|url=http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/02/22/129381_tasmania-news.html|title=Hot rocks set to roll|publisher=The Mercury|date=2010-02-22|access-date=2010-02-22}}

However, these projects have been discontinued.

In 2010, 47 projects were identified in Australia. Of the larger projects, Geodynamics Cooper Basin demonstration plant managed to progress the furthest. As at May 2022, no geothermal power plants are operating in Australia.

A Cooper Basin demonstration project to assess the potential of hot-rock geothermal energy for zero-emission, base-load power was built by Geodynamics. The 1 MWe Habanero pilot plant operated for 160 days in 2013 and prior to closure of the trial, the plant was operating at 19 kg/s and 215 degrees celsius production well head temperature.{{Cite web|title=Cooper Basin Enhanced Geothermal Systems|url=https://arena.gov.au/projects/cooper-basin-enhanced-geothermal-systems-heat-and-power-development/|access-date=2022-02-08|website=Australian Renewable Energy Agency|language=en-AU}} However, the project was abandoned after being assessed as uneconomic due to a combination of the cost of commercialising generation and the remoteness of the site.

"The technology worked but unfortunately the cost of implementing the technology and also the cost of delivering the electricity that was produced to a market was just greater than the revenue stream that we could create," Geodynamics chief executive Chris Murray said. Geodynamics wells have been plugged and remediated.{{Cite web|last=GeoEnergy|first=Think|date=2016-08-29|title=Geodynamics closure on geothermal activities in Australia & Pacific {{!}} ThinkGeoEnergy - Geothermal Energy News|url=https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/geodynamics-closure-on-geothermal-activities-in-australia-pacific/|access-date=2022-02-08|language=en-US}}

Geodynamics is no longer exploring geothermal power and is instead looking at other green energy initiatives. It has therefore changed its name to ReNu Energy and changed its ASX code to RNE.

A small 310 kW geothermal power generation plant commenced commissioning in 2019 with the promise of becoming Australia's only operating geothermal power station. The plant was to utilise 86^oC bore water from existing bores to produce electricity using an Organic Rankine Cycle. However, commissioning problems were not overcome and as of May 2022, the plant remains idle and the subject of legal dispute.

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{{reflist}}

• {{cite web|url=http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/register/p00395aa.pdf |title=Geothermal energy |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency, Queensland Government |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927191534/http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/register/p00395aa.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070525034616/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21525816-30417,00.html Geodynamics says it has 'hottest rocks on earth' in Cooper Basin]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061211104446/http://hotrock.anu.edu.au/index.html Hot rock energy]
• [http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Centre-to-study-geothermal-energy/2007/07/09/1183833392530.html Centre to study geothermal energy at Univ of Adelaide]
• [http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/geothermal Primary Industries and Resources SA - Geothermal Energy]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927175450/http://www.ausindustry.gov.au/content/content.cfm?ObjectID=FF0A1E29-D280-4228-939361EA82ECB6D1 $3m For SA Geothermal Energy Project]
• {{cite web|url=http://www-old.dpr.csiro.au/research/hdr.html |title=Geothermal Energy - Hot Dry Rocks |publisher=CSIRO }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

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Category:Geothermal energy in Australia