City Commissions Study On The Use Of Geo-Thermal Energy

It is being echoed as the next potential godsend in the quest to move away from carbon based energy and the City of Moose Jaw wants to know if the potential is there to cash in on the next latest growing energy craze. The City wants to know are there economically viable opportunities to use geo-thermal energy at the new industrial park.

At their last meeting in January Council approved spending $54,186 for subsurface geologist Steve Halabura for the Galilee Geothermal Project and the preliminary economic assessment of the development of Moose Jaw’s geothermal energy resource for agri-food production uses.

Halabura is a past chairman of DEEP Earth Energy Production Inc DEEP Earth Energy, with federal and provincial government assistance, is presently developing a geo-thermal power plant in the Estevan area.

Geo-thermal energy works off of the simple principle that the deeper you go underground the warmer it gets as you head towards the Earth’s molten core. Depending where you are the heat from the core can be more intense towards the surface such as in Iceland and Hawaii.

The deeper you have to drill the more expensive and less economically viable the geothermal resource becomes. Underlying formations can also impact the resource’s economic viability.

Mayor Fraser Tolmie said the money is being spent to expand the local economy.

“We have been approached by a gentleman about the geo-thermal technology we have in our area. So Council is looking to partner and invest as a way of looking at another economy,” Mayor Tolmie said. “We are looking at ways of geo-thermal technology can be introduced into the industrial park. What use could it be in the agricultural sector and other sectors.”

“We are realizing the global economy is changing and we have to adapt and you know people are being less reliant on fossil fuels so what does the potential of that look like in the future,” he said. “Once we have that report it is one of the things we can advertise in our Moose Jaw Advantage guide. And also speak to other businesses that might be looking to that type of technology to power their plants or whatever applications they may have.”

Mayor Tolmie said he was unaware exactly what the geo-thermal energy could in fact be used for but by having the study available there may be industries out there that could use the resource.

He pointed to the potential of using geo-thermal to heat a greenhouse for crops.

Presently the most notable use of geo-thermal energy in Moose Jaw is the Grant Hall Hotel. During restoration a series of vertical wells were drilled beneath the hotel where water is pumped into and through a heat pump system the resultant heat is used to heat the hotel.

No documents detailing exactly what the Galillee Geothermal Project entails have been released.

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BACKGROUNDER

Geo-thermal energy is derived from the naturally occurring heat as go deeper underground.

Geo-thermal energy takes on various forms and can been seen and used in many different ways.

There are numerous uses of it in coil systems and heat pumps to heat and cool homes in the province. In this system water is run through a coil buried beneath the frost line and then pumped back into the home where the heat from the ground is concentrated to heat homes through a heat pump system.

It is most naturally manifest in the form of geysers, hot springs and volcanoes and their lava floes.

Iceland harnesses a major portion of its energy needs from geo-thermal energy due to the close proximity to more intensive forms of it to the surface - lava. Iceland get 28.9 percent of its electrical power from six geo-thermal plants. The majority of homes - 66 percent - are heated by geothermal.

Despite being touted as a carbon-less power source there are critics within the green movement of geo-thermal energy especially when used from deep wells to create sufficient energy to generate steam and through it electricity.

Critics point to such dangerous gases as Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) being naturally present in some formations.

The mineral water used at the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa has some geo-thermal uses but has not been used for heating. It is from a relatively shallow level.

Technology in the area of geo-thermal energy is advancing rapidly as there is a move away from oil.

The technology and use of geo-thermal energy has been touted as a means for the shrinking oil and gas industry to utilize their skills in what is viewed as a cleaner and viable industry.