Comments on: HFR, It’s Hot http://montaraventures.com/energy/2008/04/28/hfr-its-hot/ Information about Clean, Renewable Energy. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:46:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mike http://montaraventures.com/energy/2008/04/28/hfr-its-hot/comment-page-1/#comment-5308 mike Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:03:47 +0000 http://montaraventures.com/energy/?p=425#comment-5308 Thanks for the comment (and the tip) Bruce. Your points are very valid and expand on the challenges and risks mentioned in the original piece. I haven't heard the scaling problem in the Australian projects, but that doesn't mean it's absent... Thanks for the comment (and the tip) Bruce. Your points are very valid and expand on the challenges and risks mentioned in the original piece. I haven’t heard the scaling problem in the Australian projects, but that doesn’t mean it’s absent…

]]> By: Bruce http://montaraventures.com/energy/2008/04/28/hfr-its-hot/comment-page-1/#comment-5307 Bruce Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:42:04 +0000 http://montaraventures.com/energy/?p=425#comment-5307 Nice article Mike. I think GDY is on the cutting edge of a completely new approach to geothermal energy production. A couple points: 1. The GDY project is a LONG way from the electric grid and will require a major investment in a new power line to deliver electricity to market. This won't be feasible until they prove they can deliver the hundreds of MW they are planning. Even if they are completely successful I think it will be a long time before they are generating revenue. 2. I have a good friend who worked at Los Alamos (on solar) when the Fenton Hill project was operating and he says that scaling in the heat exchangers due to minerals extracted from the rocks was a serious problem. GDY says they have this under control, but it remains a question for me. 3. Fenton Hill lost ~25% of the water they injected. GDY says their hot rocks are under high positive pressure so they won't lose any water. This also remains to be seen. 4. Australia has been drilled extensively for oil and gas and there is a database of drill records including temperature so the HDR resources are pretty well known. 5. The big issue is making the new approach work and if GDY succeeds their knowledge will be a big asset. They have had major successes and big problems, including a drilling snafu that destroyed their 2nd well. They also have deep pockets backers (the largest electric utility in Australia) and major geology talent on staff so I think they have a decent prospect of success. Nice article Mike. I think GDY is on the cutting edge of a completely new approach to geothermal energy production. A couple points:

1. The GDY project is a LONG way from the electric grid and will require a major investment in a new power line to deliver electricity to market. This won’t be feasible until they prove they can deliver the hundreds of MW they are planning. Even if they are completely successful I think it will be a long time before they are generating revenue.

2. I have a good friend who worked at Los Alamos (on solar) when the Fenton Hill project was operating and he says that scaling in the heat exchangers due to minerals extracted from the rocks was a serious problem. GDY says they have this under control, but it remains a question for me.

3. Fenton Hill lost ~25% of the water they injected. GDY says their hot rocks are under high positive pressure so they won’t lose any water. This also remains to be seen.

4. Australia has been drilled extensively for oil and gas and there is a database of drill records including temperature so the HDR resources are pretty well known.

5. The big issue is making the new approach work and if GDY succeeds their knowledge will be a big asset. They have had major successes and big problems, including a drilling snafu that destroyed their 2nd well. They also have deep pockets backers (the largest electric utility in Australia) and major geology talent on staff so I think they have a decent prospect of success.

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