GeoSmart : Technologies for geothermal to enhance competitiveness in smart and flexible operations
Working towards improving the sustainability of geothermal energy , the GeoSmart project is working on innovations to improve the flexibility and efficiency of geothermal heat and power systems , thereby making it cost competitive against its fossil-fuel based counterparts .
Text courtesy of TWI , images supplied by Zorlu Energi and CEA
The GeoSmart project is funded by the European Union ’ s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 818576 . GeoSmart kicked-off in June 2019 and is led by a consortium of 19 partners ( across UK and Europe ) with complimentary expertise including two demonstration sites in Germany and Turkey .
Geothermal challenges and GeoSmart solutions Amidst the growing challenges of soaring energy prices , geopolitical issues and securing Net Zero for climate sustainability , geothermal energy presents exciting opportunities by providing a much lower carbon footprint and flexibility as opposed to other resources in the energy mix . Unfortunately , despite the prospects offered , geothermal continues to remain a less preferred renewable alternative due to techno-economic challenges that stems from the aggressive nature of their inherent environments . Currently , geothermal is engineered as “ always on ” baseload and needs to exhibit a high level of flexibility for dispatchability . In the context of GeoSmart , the consortium is developing innovations that will contribute towards improving the flexibility and efficiency of geothermal heat and power systems via : a ) Thermal energy storages and power block management innovations to provide daily flexibility for “ dispatchability ”;
38 Heat Exchanger World October 2022 www . heat-exchanger-world . com