Tata Power has commissioned a 1-MW geothermal pilot plant in Australia in association with Geodynamics.

Geodynamics is an industry major in enhanced geothermal systems. It has geothermal exploration interests in three Australian states, including a licence to explore 2,000 sq.km in the Cooper Basin.

Tata Power said that Geodynamics tenements in the Cooper Basin contain the hottest granites on earth and are estimated to provide a thermal resource equivalent of 50 billion barrels of oil.

Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is the natural heat found in the earth, where temperatures increase with depth, typically by 10-50 degree celsius/km.

In enhanced geothermal systems technology, heat is extracted from granites located at a depth of a more than 4,000 metres by circulating water through them in an engineered artificial reservoir.

The heated water returns to the surface under pressure and is converted into electricity via a heat exchanger and conventional geothermal power plant.

Tata Power is implementing a 250-MW geothermal project in Indonesia in partnership with Origin energy and PT Supraco. The company invested in Geodynamics in 2008 for exploring both conventional and enhanced geothermal systems.

Anil Sardana, Managing Director, Tata Power, said: “The commissioning of the 1-MW geothermal pilot plant is a significant milestone for the project and with this, we plan to strengthen our footprint in the international markets. Our aim is to have 20-25 per cent of our generation portfolio from clean energy.”

shanker.s@thehindu.co.in