Life Cycle Water Consumption and Water Resource Assessment for Utility-Scale Geothermal Systems: An In-Depth Analysis of Historical and Forthcoming EGS Projects
Abstract
This report is the third in a series of reports sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Program in which a range of water-related issues surrounding geothermal power production are evaluated. The first report made an initial attempt at quantifying the life cycle fresh water requirements of geothermal power-generating systems and explored operational and environmental concerns related to the geochemical composition of geothermal fluids. The initial analysis of life cycle fresh water consumption of geothermal power-generating systems identified that operational water requirements consumed the vast majority of water across the life cycle. However, it relied upon limited operational water consumption data and did not account for belowground operational losses for enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs). A second report presented an initial assessment of fresh water demand for future growth in utility-scale geothermal power generation. The current analysis builds upon this work to improve life cycle fresh water consumption estimates and incorporates regional water availability into the resource assessment to improve the identification of areas where future growth in geothermal electricity generation may encounter water challenges.
- Authors:
-
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Publication Date:
- Other Number(s):
- 244
- Research Org.:
- DOE Geothermal Data Repository; Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Geothermal Technologies Office (EE-4G)
- Collaborations:
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Subject:
- 15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; California; EGS; NEPA; Nevada; Oregon; aboveground; belowground loss; chemical; circulation test; cooling; domestic; drilling; exploration well; flow test; geology; geothermal; injection; injection well; international; life cycle; life cycle assessment; loss; loss rate; make-up; observation well; operational; operational loss; permit; power; production; production well; regional water resource assessment; reservoir loss; stimulation; water; water consumption; water resource; well
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1148815
- DOI:
- https://doi.org/10.15121/1148815
Citation Formats
Schroeder, Jenna N. Life Cycle Water Consumption and Water Resource Assessment for Utility-Scale Geothermal Systems: An In-Depth Analysis of Historical and Forthcoming EGS Projects. United States: N. p., 2013.
Web. doi:10.15121/1148815.
Schroeder, Jenna N. Life Cycle Water Consumption and Water Resource Assessment for Utility-Scale Geothermal Systems: An In-Depth Analysis of Historical and Forthcoming EGS Projects. United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.15121/1148815
Schroeder, Jenna N. 2013.
"Life Cycle Water Consumption and Water Resource Assessment for Utility-Scale Geothermal Systems: An In-Depth Analysis of Historical and Forthcoming EGS Projects". United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.15121/1148815. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1148815. Pub date:Sat Aug 31 00:00:00 EDT 2013
@article{osti_1148815,
title = {Life Cycle Water Consumption and Water Resource Assessment for Utility-Scale Geothermal Systems: An In-Depth Analysis of Historical and Forthcoming EGS Projects},
author = {Schroeder, Jenna N.},
abstractNote = {This report is the third in a series of reports sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Program in which a range of water-related issues surrounding geothermal power production are evaluated. The first report made an initial attempt at quantifying the life cycle fresh water requirements of geothermal power-generating systems and explored operational and environmental concerns related to the geochemical composition of geothermal fluids. The initial analysis of life cycle fresh water consumption of geothermal power-generating systems identified that operational water requirements consumed the vast majority of water across the life cycle. However, it relied upon limited operational water consumption data and did not account for belowground operational losses for enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs). A second report presented an initial assessment of fresh water demand for future growth in utility-scale geothermal power generation. The current analysis builds upon this work to improve life cycle fresh water consumption estimates and incorporates regional water availability into the resource assessment to improve the identification of areas where future growth in geothermal electricity generation may encounter water challenges.},
doi = {10.15121/1148815},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Aug 31 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Sat Aug 31 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}
