In a recent article published by Spectra, editor and journalist Ewan Thompson describes how Eavor is unlocking vast potential for geothermal energy in Bavaria.
The article highlighted how Geretsried will soon be able to harness heat from deep within the earth to provide its population with reliable baseload energy. A closed-loop system will be able to achieve this because it bypasses the need to search for hot underground aquifers, which costs millions of dollars without the guarantee of discovery.
Rather than investing time and money into locating an aquifer, all an Eavor-Loop™ needs is access to hot rock, which is anywhere on the planet. Drilling approximately 4.5 kilometres deep, Eavor will network 260 kilometres of wellbore into a closed-loop system that will act as a reverse radiator, extracting heat from bedrock and circulating it up to the power plant.
This will allow the region to have dispatchable power in the form of district heating and electricity whenever communities need it; 24/7 and 365 days a year.
To convert heat to electricity, Eavor-Europe™ is using Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group’s Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), a thermodynamic cycle that converts heat into work. ORC systems can exploit energy from multiple sources, such as clean energy, raditional fuels such as natural gas, and even waste heat from industrial sources.
By using a constant, reliable, no-emission energy source from hot rock, the article explained that Eavor is creating a valuable opportunity for any country to achieve their net-zero goal. Furthermore, it stated that “Geretsried’s giant Earth battery could become a blueprint for the rest of the world.”
Spectra is an online magazine owned by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group that tells stories about industrial innovations and transformative technologies that are shaping the world. In highlighting these stories, Spectra aims to promote a carbon-neutral future, improve the modern world’s quality of life, and instill a safer, more secure future.
To read the full Spectra article, click here.
