Alphaxioms Geothermal News and Related Research Globally

Exciting news for the advanced nuclear sector as the US-based Centrus Energy Corporation has completed construction on a cutting-edge uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio. This state-of-the-art facility features a cascade of 16 advanced centrifuges and is set to revolutionize the production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) by the end of 2023. The HALEU cascade at Piketon (Image: Centrus) With the support of the US Department of Energy, Centrus received USD150 million in funding to bring this project to life. The cascade and its associated systems have undergone rigorous testing and the completion of fissile material storage and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) operational readiness reviews are the final steps before production can commence. Piketon is the only production facility in the US that has been licensed by the NRC for HALEU production, making this a major milestone in the advanced nuclear industry. The HALEU produced here will be enriched to between 5% and 20

Nine South Korean organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on the development and demonstration of ships and offshore systems powered with small modular reactors (SMRs). The partners will also develop marine systems and the production of hydrogen using molten salt reactors (MSRs) . Representatives from the partners mark the signing of the MoU (Image: KAERI) Since July, an advisory panel - the Green Transformation (GX) Executive Committee - has been considering the implementation of major changes in energy, all industries, and the economy and society in order to achieve the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The government's GX implementation meeting was held on 22 December, during which a roadmap for the next ten years was agreed as a "basic policy for the realisation of GX". Under the new policy - which describes nuclear power as "a power source that contributes to energy security and has a high decarbonisation effect&quo

The routes of the vibration vehicles in the 13 communities. Source: Wärmeverbund Magglinge Next week, as part of the geothermal project in Magglingen, Switzerland, around 2,700 measurement devices will be deployed for underground data collection. The actual measurements are scheduled to start in mid-March and will last for about three weeks. The Magglingen geothermal project, which will provide heat for the National Sports Center in Magglingen (NSM) in the future, is entering a new phase. In preparation for the planned measurements, around 2,700 measurement devices will be deployed in Leubringen/Magglingen and twelve other communities for underground data collection. They will remain there for about two months. The actual measurements will start, depending on the weather conditions, in mid-March and will last for about three weeks. They are aimed at locating the suspected warm water reservoir in the depths. The results will be evaluated in early 2024. Investigation of the underground u

Forget about relying on finite sources of energy. Europe is turning towards a renewable and unlimited energy source - geothermal. With France, Iceland and Hungary leading the way, several countries are investing billions of euros in this energy source to meet their energy demands . image source: (unsplash.com,Mark Kuiper) A Rich European Tradition Europe has a rich history in geothermal energy, with Iceland, France, and Hungary dominating the sector. However, in recent years, more and more countries have shown an increased interest in exploring the potential of this renewable energy source. Geothermal energy is 100% renewable, unlimited, and reliable - making it a valuable resource in the race towards decarbonization. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the continent's vulnerability in the energy sector and has only reinforced the trend towards investing in geothermal energy. Decarbonizing 25% of Energy Demand Geothermal power plants are estimated to provide up to 10% o

Equinor Strikes Again! The energy giant has made a remarkable discovery in the North Sea, marking the seventh find since autumn of 2019. The latest addition to its list of achievements, the Røver Sør discovery, is said to hold an estimated 17 to 47 MMboe, with a majority of it being oil . Jan Arne Wold and Elisabeth Sahl / ©Equinor Partnered with DNO, Wellesley Petroleum and Petoro, Equinor operates the production license and continues to make waves in the oil and gas industry with its string of successful discoveries, including Echino Sør (2019), Swisher (2020), Røver Nord (2021), Blasto (2021), Toppand (2022), and Kveikje (2022). Geir Sørtveit, Equinor's Senior Vice President for Exploration and Production West Operations, says that discoveries close to existing infrastructure are vital to maintain oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf, as they are more profitable and can be brought to production with minimal carbon emissions. With Røver Sør being in close pro

Rolls-Royce SMR and Polish company Industria have joined forces to revolutionize the country's energy infrastructure with the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). Alan Woods, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Director of Strategy and Business Development, left, and Szczepan Ruman, CEO of Industria (Image: Rolls-Royce SMR) Industria, part of the state-owned Industrial Development Agency JSC (IDA), has chosen Rolls-Royce SMR for the Central Hydrogen Cluster with the aim to produce 50,000 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen annually. With the potential of "up to three" SMRs and the possibility of replacing over 8GW of coal-fired power plants, this collaboration has the power to shape a sustainable future for Poland. Tom Samson, CEO of Rolls-Royce SMR, said this partnership has "enormous potential" and could support thousands of high-skilled jobs in both Poland and the UK.  Meanwhile, President of the Board of IDA, Cezariusz Lesisz, sees this as a "great opportunity" to

P ilot Projects Will Work to Scale EGS, And Help Provide Renewable Geothermal Energy to over 65 Million American Homes (image source: unsplash.com, Sam Bark) WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a funding opportunity of up to $74 million for up to seven pilot projects that will test the efficacy and scalability of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Directed by the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the pilot projects will use innovative technology and a variety of development techniques to capture the Earth’s abundant heat resources in diverse geologic settings. Through this investment, DOE hopes the research and development from the findings would demonstrate the growth and ultimate potential for geothermal energy to provide reliable, around-the-clock electricity to tens of millions of homes across the country. This is DOE’s first funding opportunity for geothermal energy since the launch of the Enhanced Geothermal ShotTM , part of DOE’s Ener