ALPHAXIOMS Geothermal News & Energy Research

image source : AP/ Business Wire A groundbreaking study on the potential of geothermal energy in Texas has been published, drawing attention to the immense promise of this renewable source of energy. Geothermal energy, which harnesses heat from beneath the earth's surface, has been utilized for thousands of years for its therapeutic properties in hot springs. However, until now, the technology to extract this energy on a large scale has been restricted to areas near volcanoes. Researchers from five Texas universities, along with the International Energy Agency and the University Lands office, have found that the new advancements in geothermal energy extraction make it feasible to extract this energy anywhere. The lead author of the study, Ken Wisian of the School of Geo-sciences at the University of Texas Austin, spoke about their findings in an interview. Wisian cited three key factors that have made geothermal energy a more viable option: improvements in drilling speed and effici...

image source: (unsplash.com, Grad Prismatic Spring Geyser Tourism Pictures by James Lee) The U.S. Department of Energy has unveiled a new study that highlights the limitless potential of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) as a widely adopted source of renewable energy in the country. Commissioned by the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the study reveals that the goal of reducing EGS costs by 90% to $45 per megawatt-hour by 2035 is ambitious yet attainable with the advancement of technology. The Enhanced Geothermal Shot, an endeavor to unlock the Earth's seemingly infinite heat resources, seeks to provide a reliable, clean source of power for American communities and stimulate the growth of the domestic geothermal industry. With over five terawatts of heat resources in the United States, equivalent to the energy needs of the entire world, the study estimates that the country could harness enough of these resources to power more than 65 million homes. "The United S...

image source: (unsplash.com, Aldrin Rachman Pradana Indonesia East Sara Malang City) Indonesia's Pertamina Geothermal Energy, a subsidiary of the state energy company Pertamina, has refined the expected price range for its highly-anticipated initial public offering (IPO). The range, now set between 875 to 880 rupiah per share, values the IPO at a staggering 9.11 trillion rupiah (approximately $611 million), marking the largest such offering in Indonesia in almost a year, following the record-breaking $1.1 billion listing of technology firm, GoTo, in April. This latest development sees the price range significantly narrowed from the initial 820 to 945 rupiah range outlined in the prospectus just three days prior. Pertamina Geothermal aims to double its geothermal capacity by 2027-2028, a feat that may cost an estimated $4 billion. As Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, seeks to reduce carbon emissions and cut energy imports, tapping into its geothermal resources is beco...

Dukovany has four reactors (Image: ČEZ) Czech utility company, ČEZ, has declared its intention to invest over CZK2.3 billion ($105 million) into the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, with the primary goal of ensuring its "safe and reliable operation" until at least 2047. The investment is a half a billion crowns more than the previous year. Bohdan Zronek, a member of ČEZ's board of directors, emphasized the significance of nuclear energy as a zero-emission resource and stated that the investments are aimed at ensuring Dukovany's safe operation for the next six decades, regardless of the increase in the volume of work this year. Additionally, the utility company is extending the fuel cycles of the four units at Dukovany by four months, from the current 12-month cycles, which is expected to increase efficiency as fewer fuel replacements will be required. The most challenging project, according to Plant Director Roman Havlín, will be cleaning the steam generators. He explain...

  image source:nasa.blog.gov "Cosmic Pioneers Tackle Monumental Task in Space: NASA and JAXA Astronauts Embark on Epic Spacewalk to Upgrade the International Space Station" Two of the world's most daring space explorers, NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, have embarked on a mission of celestial significance. At 7:45 a.m. EST, they began a spacewalk to complete the construction of a mounting platform on the 1A power channel, a task that was initiated during a previous spacewalk on January 20th. Their mission is part of a larger effort to augment the power channels of the International Space Station with cutting-edge technology. The astronauts will be installing International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs), state-of-the-art devices that will provide the station with additional power, essential for its ongoing operations. With precision and grace, Mann and Wakata will be relocating and installing an...

KEPCO CEO Seung-il Jeong (left) submits the proposal to Turkey's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez (Image: KEPCO) South Korea's Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has submitted a proposal to the Turkish government for the construction of four APR-1400 reactors in northern Turkey. KEPCO CEO Seung-il Jeong and Turkey's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Fatih Dönmez, met on January 30 to discuss the project, which KEPCO said will involve a project feasibility study to determine the optimal business promotion plan. KEPCO has a proven track record in delivering successful nuclear power plant projects, having completed construction of four APR1400 reactors in the UAE under a $20 billion deal in 2009. The company is the only operator among the latest nuclear power plants under construction in the West that has met budget and timeline expectations, earning the trust of its customers. Turkey has made great strides in its nuclear program, launching t...

The Mochovce nuclear power plant (Image: Slovenské elektrárne) After years of construction and careful preparation, the new Unit 3 at the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant in Slovakia has finally come to life! At 10.57pm on January 31, the unit was successfully connected to the grid for the first time, operating at 20% of its full capacity. This momentous event represents a major milestone not just for the company, Slovenské elektrárne, but also for the entire country. The Unit 3 will play a crucial role in supplying cheap electricity to households and contributing to the country's efforts towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and becoming carbon neutral. The journey to this point has been a long and meticulous one. Tests were carried out at increasing levels of power, starting at 5% and gradually increasing to 20%. The steam turbines were brought to life for the first time over the weekend, spinning up to the nominal speed of 3000 revolutions per minute. The generator, block transf...

How a Rolls-Royce SMR plant might look (Image: Rolls-Royce SMR) Rolls-Royce and the Czech Republic are collaborating to bring cutting-edge nuclear technology to the heart of Europe. The two nations have joined forces to explore the deployment of Rolls-Royce's Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in the Czech Republic, with the hope of combining their expertise to bring this revolutionary technology online by the early 2030s. The UK Minister for Trade Policy, Greg Hands, believes that this partnership will not only support growth and job creation, but also boost the economy and enhance energy security. The Rolls-Royce SMR, with a design capacity of 470 MWe, is based on a small pressurized water reactor and the company aims to have the first one in operation in the UK by the end of the decade. In March 2022, the Czech energy company CEZ announced its intention to build the country's first SMRs at its Temelín site, having already signed Memorandums of Understanding with several other nuc...

© shutterstock/Audio und werbung Australia and Germany have joined forces in a quest to revolutionize renewable hydrogen production through a $100 million funding initiative known as the German-Australian Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Incubator (HyGATE). This partnership, aimed at accelerating research and development in the field, will finance four joint projects, including the world's first solar methanol plant and a 10 MW hydrogen electrolyzer that will tap into Australia's first major solar thermal project in South Australia's Port Augusta. Two of the projects, the EGH2 and the Atco ScaleH2 initiatives, represent the final stage of what could become massive gigawatt-scale green hydrogen projects in Queensland and New South Wales, respectively. The EGH2 project, a collaboration between Edify Energy and Siemens Energy, will be deployed in Townsville, Queensland, and will employ a 17.5 MW Siemens Energy electrolyzer and 21 MW solar PV to produce renewable hydrogen. Th...

"Unlock the Secrets of North America's Groundbreaking Energy Move: A Trailblazing Team of Power Giants Joins Forces to Deliver the First Commercial Contract for a Grid-Scale Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Discover how Ontario Power Generation, GE Hitachi, SNC-Lavalin, and Aecon are revolutionizing the energy landscape with their cutting-edge integrated project delivery model to engineer, develop, and construct a BWRX-300 at OPG's Darlington New Nuclear Project." L-R: Hartwick, Wileman, SNC-Lavalin SNC President, Nuclear Joe St Julian and Clochard at the livestreamed signing (Image: OPG on Twitter) "Revolutionary Energy Alliance Takes Shape: Four Powerhouses Join Forces to Spark a Nuclear Renaissance. Get ready to witness history in the making as Ontario Power Generation, GE Hitachi, SNC-Lavalin, and Aecon come together to deliver North America's first commercial contract for a Grid-Scale Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Discover how each partner is poised to play a...

image source: (unsplash.com,riccardo annandale) Ross Energy and Fidelis New Energy have formed a unique partnership to develop and operate onshore CO2 storage networks in Denmark and Southern Sweden. The partnership will focus on evaluating subsurface areas, characterizing reservoirs, testing, seismic acquisition, and developing carbon storage fields. Fidelis is building the Norne Carbon Storage Hub, a Danish CO2 storage network that will provide cost-effective and safe decarbonization options for CO2 emitting companies. This project aims to begin injecting CO2 into onshore storage structures by 2026, with a goal of injecting 20 million tonnes or more annually by 2030. The Norne Carbon Storage Hub will receive CO2 from both local and international sources, either via pipeline or shipborne transport at multiple facilities. Fidelis has chosen Ross Energy as its sole well management and subsurface development partner for its current and future CO2 storage projects in Denmark and Southern ...

IAEA safety review team members and Uzatom experts inspect the meteorological station near the selected nuclear power plant site (Image: Neil Harman, Jacobs Uzbekistan is on the brink of a historic moment as it seeks to commission two VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors, scheduled for 2028 and 2030. The journey to build the country's first nuclear power plant has been a thorough one, with UzAtom, the state agency for nuclear energy, leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the project meets the highest international standards of safety. In January 2023, an IAEA SEED mission team made a trip to Uzbekistan to review the country's safety processes for evaluating the site of the plant. The team of experts from France, Turkey, the UK and the IAEA, conducted interviews and made a visit to the selected site near Lake Tuzkan, in the Farishsky district. The SEED mission found that Uzbekistan has carried out an objective and safety-oriented site characterisation process that puts the safet...

image source:(Unsplash.com ,jensen Newcomb) Geothermal energy and water have an inextricable relationship that has captivated scientists and energy enthusiasts alike. This source of renewable energy is generated by tapping into the immense heat that originates from the Earth’s core. This heat, which is transferred to the surface through subterranean water reservoirs and geothermal reservoirs, is the key to unlocking the vast potential of geothermal energy. To understand the relationship between geothermal energy and water, it's crucial to grasp how geothermal energy is produced. At the heart of geothermal energy production is the phenomenon of heat transfer, where heat is transferred from a hotter body to a colder body. In the case of geothermal energy, the heat source is the Earth’s core, and the heat is transferred to the surface through underground water reservoirs. When water is pumped from these underground reservoirs, it is heated by the Earth’s heat and can be used to genera...

image source:(unspalsh.com,Simon Cheung) BP is eyeing the possibility of constructing a state-of-the-art hydrogen hub in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The project, set to feature an industry-leading ammonia cracker, aims to produce up to 130,000 tons of low-carbon hydrogen annually from 2028. The hydrogen will be derived from green ammonia, created through the combination of nitrogen and hydrogen extracted from electrolysis utilizing renewable energy sources. The green ammonia will be transported from BP's green hydrogen projects worldwide to Wilhelmshaven, where it will undergo conversion into hydrogen. Patrick Wendeler, CEO of BP Europa SE, stated, “At BP, we possess the skills and capacity to traverse the entire value chain of green hydrogen production, from conversion into derivatives such as ammonia, transport, and reconversion to supply green hydrogen to those who require it.” The proposed project is poised to promote energy independence for German customers and advance the nation...

Inside TRIUMF's main accelerator building (Image: CNL/TRIUMF) The newly signed agreement between Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and TRIUMF, Canada's national nuclear laboratory, promises to be a catalyst for research and innovation. The two organizations have come together to embark on joint research projects and exchange scientific information and equipment in areas of mutual interest, such as health sciences, materials sciences, radiation, analytical and imaging technologies, cyber security, and accelerator and particle detection technologies. CNL operates sites across Canada for Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd, fostering collaboration between government, industry, academia and the private sector to support the safe and reliable operation of Canada's nuclear fleet, as well as clean energy, public health, environmental stewardship, and national security initiatives. On the other hand, TRIUMF, established in 1968 and based in Vancouver, is a hub for advanced particle and n...