Find out Europe’s five most innovative geothermal projects of 2021

In June 2022 EGEC will announce the final winner among the five endorsed nominations for the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award 2021.

The five finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Baker Hughes (Netherlands), with the project Corrosion Resistant Podded Electrical Submersible Pump & Completion System.

Baker Hughes Artificial Lift Systems has partnered with ECW Geomanagement BV (ECW) to design, develop and successfully execute an industry-first well completion that allows geothermal production to continue, and the casing to be protected against both localized and general corrosion.

Celsius Energy (France) with the project Celsius Energy System.

 The Celsius Energy system is an innovative ground source heat pump system consisting of three main elements:

• A closed-loop geothermal energy exchanger, with U-shaped probes arranged in a pyramid-shape pattern to minimize its surface footprint;
• A heat pump allowing simultaneous supply of heating and cooling;
• A digital control system, minimizing electricity consumption and guaranteeing system performance by optimizing the use of the subsurface and of heat pumps, coupled to the building in real time.

Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG (Germany), with the project Energy concept for geothermal cooling and heating.

The project outline describes the innovative integration of an absorption heat pump into a system of heat grids, allowing the heat from geothermally driven high-temperature heat grids to be used year-round to provide low-temperature heating or cooling.

Izmir Institute of Technology (Turkey) with the project Capture and using CO2 as an inhibitor in geothermal power plant.

In this project, CO2 gas is injected to the geothermal system to prevent the formation of metal silicate scaling which have employed in the Tuzla Geothermal Power Plant (TGPP) in Turkey for pH modification. With this study, the application of other inhibitors in TGPP system has ended. The use of CO2 provides serious contributions both environmentally and economically.

Perryman Technologies Research (France) with the projectGeothermal Lithium Extraction.

Full Spectrum Solar Thermal utilizing IXED & ultrasonics solar thermal powered separation chlorides & precipitation of Li2CO3 from geothermal brine with H2O recovery. The aim of the main processes are as follows:

• the EID method is used to maximize the separation of magnesium and lithium from the brine to obtain a low Mg/Li anolyte;
• removing the multivalent ions (e.g., Mg2+, Ca2+, and SO4 2−) from the obtained anolyte via the NF method;
• concentrating the permeate flow produced by NF with the RO method (we could use forced rapid evaporation here);
• further increasing the lithium concentration by evaporation(we could use forced rapid evaporation here);
• precipitating Li2CO3 by adding Na2CO3(Sodium Carbonate).

“With those 5 innovations, the geothermal sector demonstrate originality, innovation, and reliability. The high-quality of the applicatants makes  a challenging competition, showing that the geothermal sector is brimming with unceasing innovation. This award is a great opportunity to promote ingenious projects, and we are honoured to receive so many good and innovative projects every year’’, said Philippe Dumas, EGEC Secretary-General.

The Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award is an initiative of EGEC, the European Geothermal Energy Council, in collaboration with Messe Offenburg, organiser of the GeoTHERM congress. The Award is given to companies which have made an outstanding contribution in the geothermal sector in the form of innovative products, scientific research or project initiatives.

The jury for 2022 is composed of Miklos Antics (France, representing EGEC), Inga Berre (Norway, Professor at University of Bergen), Sandra Kircher (Germany, representing Messe Offenburg), Fausto Batini (Italy, Magma Energy, ETIP-DG President), and Javier Urchueguia (Spain, representing RHC-ETIP geothermal panel). The Jury will now select the winner, which will be announced in June 2022.