THE TECHNOLOGY
Jump to: Right Arrow  Heat stored in rocks
Right Arrow  A vast European Resource
Right Arrow  HOT DRY ROCK (HDR) - The Concept
Right Arrow  Soultz: What has been done - Important Milestones
Right Arrow  Comparison of Main HDR - Reservoirs in the World

HEAT STORED IN ROCKS:

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  • One 1 km³ of 200°C hot granite cooled by 20°C...
  • ...delivers about 10 MW of electric power...
  • ...for a period of 20 years.


A VAST EUROPEAN RESOURCE:

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  • 1 km³ of rock (cooling 20°C)
    =15'000 GWh thermal
    = 1'275'000 tons of oil
    = more than 10 MWe base load at >200°C for 20 years
  • Available resource
    = 125'000 km² in W.Europe with >200°C at ~5000 m depth (Shell study)
  • 12'500 km² (x 1 km thickness) of prime resource
    = 900 TWh/year
    = European nuclear energy output (1995)


HDR/HWR/HFR/EGS - THE CONCEPT:

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Different geological settings have evolved different names for the same concept:

- HDR: Hot Dry Rock
- HWR: Hot Wet Rock
- HFR: Hot Fractured Rock
- EGS: Enhanced Geothermal Systems

This concept consists briefly of:
  • Use the natural fracture systems in the basement rocks !
  • Enlarge its permeability through massive stimulation !
  • Install a multi-well system !
  • Through pumping and lifting, force the water to migrate through the fracture system of enhanced permeability ("reservoir") and use the heat for power production!
  • Use submersible pumps to increase fluid recovery !


SOULTZ: WHAT HAS BEEN DONE - IMPORTANT MILESTONES

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  • Integration of all European HDR research activities at Soultz
  • Drilling of 2 wells to 3.6 km, and underground evaluation
  • Stimulation and first hydraulic testing
  • Successful 4-month circulation test demonstrating the feasibility of the HDR concept at Soultz
  • Industry participation through the EEIG “Heat Mining”
  • Deepening of a well to 5 km, to a temperature of 200°C
  • Successful stimulation experiment at 4.4 - 5 km depth

Right Arrow  Background HDR concept


COMPARISON OF MAIN HDR - RESERVOIRS IN THE WORLD

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Projects Period Max. rock temp.
[°C]		 Reservoir depth
[m]		 Well separation
[m]		 Outlet flow
[l/s]		 Water losses
[%]		 Impedance

[MPa/l/s]		 Thermal output
[MWth]		 Breakthrough volume
[m³]
Los Alamos (USA) 1973-1979 232 3500 150-300 ~7 <10 2.5 ~5 80-100
Rosemanowes (UK) 1980-1993 80 2000 180-270 ~15 ~25 0.4 ~4 200-300
Hijiori (Japan) 1985- 270 2200 ~130 ~12 ~25 0.3 ~7 50-150
Soultz (F) 1989-1997 168 3500 ~450 ~26 0 0.23 ~11 ~7000
Soultz (F)
anticipated		 1997- 202 5000 600-700 ~100 0 0.12 ~50 ~20'000