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The Retrofit Revolution: How GreenFire Energy Is Turning Abandoned Oil & Geothermal Wells Into Continuous Clean Power Without New Drilling

The Retrofit Revolution: How GreenFire Energy Is Unlocking Geothermal Power Without Drilling a Single New Well By: Robert Buluma   While much of the geothermal energy sector has been focused on breakthrough drilling techniques—deeper wells, hotter reservoirs, and complex engineered systems—a quieter revolution has been unfolding in the background. Instead of chasing entirely new subsurface frontiers, one company has chosen a radically simpler question: What if the answer was already in the ground? GreenFire Energy is advancing a retrofit-first geothermal strategy that targets one of the most overlooked opportunities in the global energy transition: existing wells that are underperforming, depleted, or completely abandoned. Rather than drilling new holes into the Earth, the company is reusing the infrastructure that already exists—turning stranded assets into continuous sources of clean, baseload electricity. This approach is not just technically elegant. It may also be one of ...
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Containment structure for Changjiang 3 nears completion

China has done it again! The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced the installation of the inner dome at unit 3 of the Changjiang nuclear power plant, located in the stunning Hainan province. This comes just a few days after the outer dome was successfully installed at Zhangzhou unit 1, another Hualong One unit. CNNC plans to have both units 3 and 4 fully operational by early 2027, and it seems like they are on track to achieve that.


The steel inner dome in place at Changjiang 3 (Image: China Huaneng)

This impressive inner dome - with a diameter of 46.8 metres, a height of 23.4 metres and a total lifting weight of 518 tonnes - was lifted into place using a 3200-tonne crawler crane. The successful installation of this steel dome, marking an "important milestone node in the construction of nuclear power projects", will play a critical role in ensuring the integrity and leak tightness of the reactor building, and containment of radioactive substances.

China Huaneng, the company holding the majority share in the project, highlighted the innovative measures taken during the assembly of Changjiang 3's inner dome, such as the use of work platforms and customised hanging cage measures to break the traditional mode of constructing scaffolding platforms. This "zero scaffolding" approach is a game-changer for the industry and represents a new precedent for completing the assembly of steel-lined domes and installation items.

The inner dome at its on-site assembly point (Image: CNNC)

The Changjiang nuclear site already boasts two CNP-600 pressurised water reactors, Changjiang 1 and 2, which entered commercial operation in 2015 and 2016 respectively. In addition, CNNC has begun the construction of a demonstration ACP100 small modular reactor at the site, which is designed for multiple purposes such as electricity production, heating, steam production, and seawater desalination.


The dome is moved by crane from its assembly point towards the reactor building (Image: China Huaneng)

The estimated total investment for Changjiang Phase II - units 3 and 4 - is CNY40 billion (USD6.4 billion), and the construction period is expected to be 60 months. The completion of this project will make nuclear power the primary source of electricity for the island of Hainan, which has a population of close to 10 million people. China is certainly showing the world how it's done when it comes to nuclear energy.

source:(worldnuclearnews)

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