As a part of Vickers Venture Partners’ portfolio companies, Managing Director Vadim Shpak platformed Eavor’s venture to create a “groundbreaking partnership” with the US Air Force to establish energy security within the Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA).
Additionally, Shpak commended the US Air Force for “embracing future-forward solutions,” as it backs Eavor’s diligence in being a leader in innovative cleantech.
Eavor announced its collaboration with the US Air Force last October, which happened after Eavor was granted a feasibility contract at JBSA, the largest joint base in the Department of Defense (DOD).
Preparations for this collaboration are currently underway. The partnership will see negotiations and investigation into the viability of next-generation advanced geothermal at the base. If successful, JBSA could prove that spearheading innovative cleantech is greatly beneficial to military infrastructure, as Eavor can offer baseload power even in the event of commercial grid outages.
Chosen as a pilot project site, JBSA boasts a favorable subsurface heat profile, particularly on the south side of San Antonio, creating an advantageous heat dome closer to the surface, according to Kirk Phillips, director of the Air Force Office of Energy Assurance in Washington D.C.
In an article posted on the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment (SAF/IE) website, Lucinda Notestine, chief of the special projects division of the Air Force Office of Energy Assurance stated: “The Air Force, and all of the DOD and Congress, are looking for carbon-free, pollution-free electricity. This gives this to us. The technology will be safe for the community and local water sources and is very environmentally friendly.”
The proposed geothermal plant will be situated on a 17-acre site at the Chapman annex of the Air Force facility. This site offers convenient connections to the local electricity provider, CPS Energy. While JBSA will continue to rely on the grid as its primary power source, the geothermal power plant is positioned to provide a dependable layer of redundancy.
Feasibility studies and testing of the site’s potential is set to begin in 2024 and are expected to continue for approximately two years.
