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U.S. DOE choses four geothermal businesses for collaboration with national laboratories

CO2 geothermal technology overview (source: Greenfire Energy)
Alexander Richter 19 Ağu 2016

As part of a Small Business Vouchers pilot by the U.S. Department of Energy, four geothermal businesses were chosen and are able to leverage capabilities of the DOE's national laboratories in their technological developments.

As part of a program by the U.S. Department of Energy, 43 small businesses were chose to participate in the second round of the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. With vouchers in hand, these businesses can better leverage the world-class capabilities of DOE’s national laboratories and bring their next-generation clean energy technologies to the marketplace faster.

Among the projects chosen are four collaborations in the geothermal area. They will include exploring a recently discovered geothermal resource in Nevada, ensuring that new geothermal extraction and storage solutions are ready for the market, and developing lower-cost methods for extracting rare earth elements critical to clean energy technologies.

The projects chosen are:

Anactisis, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Anactisis will develop and commercialize new polymer-based materials for the recovery and concentration of critical materials such as rare earths from geothermal brines. Working with Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Elko Heat Co., City of Wells, Nevada

Elko Heat Company and the City of Wells will utilize geologic data collected since the early 1980s, including data collected following the 2008 Wells earthquake, to develop an integrated conceptual model of the region’s geothermal resources using spatial and subsurface spatial and subsurface analytical tools. This work aims to produce a resource model of the area that will reveal the most productive sites for drilling targets and direct use applications. Working with Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and the National Energy Technology Laboratory

Greenfire Energy, Emeryville, California Green

Fire Energy Inc. will receive assistance modeling the creation and behavior of a small fracture system in hot, impermeable rock as part of its CO2-based geothermal power system. Working with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Hyperlight Energy, La Jolla, California

Hyperlight Energy will involve thermal modelling, assessment, and evaluation in support of thermal battery storage options for use in solar thermal/geothermal hybrid power plants. Working with National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The national laboratories participating in the program are:

 

Source: DOE, SBV.organnouncement SBV (pdf),