• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.547-560
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• 2013

The importance of renewable energy has increased continuously due to the energy insecurity and the necessity of reducing carbon dioxide which is causing global climate change. In such a situation, the Pohang Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) power plant project which is launched in December 2010 shall be a new opportunity for the development of EGS related technologies in Korea. In this paper, the case studies of Fenton Hill project in the USA and Hijiori project in Japan are introduced in order to help a part of the domestic EGS demonstration project. As a result, it could be helpful to minimize the trial and error of the domestic EGS project by acquiring the achievements and limitations of existing EGS projects.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.506-520
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• 2013

While geothermal energy provides the only base-load power among renewable energy sources, its development has been carried out predominantly in volcanic area. EGS (Enhanced Geothermal System) is a ubiquitous technology that can allow the geothermal power generation virtually in any area. This manuscript introduces the current state-of-the-art of EGS development in the world and presents the hydraulic stimulation technology and associated microseismicity which are key technical component in EGS. Finally this paper suggests the key research areas required in Korea for further development of EGS.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2014

In order to generate electricity from geothermal energy for non-volcanic region, the concept of enhanced geothermal system (EGS) is introduced which forms an artificial reservoir by injecting high pressure fluid to 5 km deep and circulating geothermal fluid through the reservoir. Demonstration studies have been conducted in various countries and regions for determining the feasibility of EGS. In this technical note, experiences, errors, and implications of EGS demonstration projects in UK Rosemanowes and Australia Cooper Basin which have been carried out since 2002 are introduced to be used for the EGS demonstration project in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.3-32
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• 2008

The potential deep geothermal resources span a wide range of heat sources from the earth, including not only the more easily developed, currently economic hydrothermal resources; but also the earth's deeper, stored thermal energy, which is present anywhere. At shallow depths of 3,000~10,000m, the coincidence of substantial amounts heat in hot rock, fluids that heat up while flowing through the rock and permeability of connected fractures can result in natural hot water reservoirs. Although conventional hydrothermal resources which contain sufficient fluids at high temperatures and geo-pressures are used effectively for both electric and nonelectric applications in the world, they are somewhat limited in their location and ultimate potential for supplying electricity. A large portion of the world's geothermal resource base consists of hot dry rock(HDR) with limited permeability and porosity, an inadquate recharge of fluids and/or insufficient water for heat transport. An alternative known as engineered or enhanced geothermal systems(EGS), to dependence on naturally occurring hydrothermal reservoirs involves human intervention to engineer hydrothermal reservoirs in hot rocks for commercial use. Therefore EGS resources are with enormous potential for primary energy recovery using an engineered heat mining technology, which is designed to extract and utilize the earth's stored inexthermal energy. Because EGS resources have a large potential for the long term, United States focused his effort to provide 100GW of 24-hour-a-day base load electric-generating capacity by 2050.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.561-571
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• 2013

Various experiences on enhanced geothermal system (EGS) has been accumulated from the Soultz project through various scientific experiments and research activities for more than 20 years since it started in the year of 1984 until the 1.5 MW Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) binary power plant has been built up in Soultz-sous-$\hat{e}$ area, France. They have been applied to Cooper basin in Australia, Landau and Insheim in Germany and so forth. This report summaries the experiences from Soultz in the aspect of artificial reservoir creation, expecting to be helpful for reducing any trial and errors or unnecessary expenses in ongoing Korean EGS project in Pohang area, where the geological features are similar to Soultz area.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.38-46
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• 2012

Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) among geothermal system types enables to produce sustainable energy even in non-volcanic region while conventional geothermal energy has been restricted to obtain only from hot and permeable formation such as in volcanic regions. Successful EGS project in terms of economy, however, can be expected only when the project is managed effectively considering most of influencing factors (e.g., tangible and intangible resources, cost, time, risks, etc.). In particular, well construction is of the utmost importance in geothermal project as it dominantly influences on time and cost in the whole project. Therefore, when it comes to viable geothermal project without abundant experience, managing drilling economically and efficiently is inevitable. In this study, a project management system for well construction in geothermal project based on project control system including work breakdown structure and cost account was developed to predict and assess the performance of drilling and to visualize the progress.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

Mongolia has three(3) geothermal zones and eight(8) hydrogeothermal systems/regions that are, fold-fault platform/uplift zone, concave-largest subsidence zone, and mixed intermediate-transitional zone. Average temperature, heat flow, and geothermal gradient of hot springs in Arhangai located to fold-fault platform/uplift zone are $55.8^{\circ}C$, 60~110 mW/m2 and $35{\sim}50^{\circ}C/km$ respectively and those of Khentii situated in same zone are $80.5^{\circ}C$, 40~50 mW/m2, and $35{\sim}50^{\circ}C/km$ separately. Temperature of hydrothermal water at depth of 3,000 m is expected to be about $173{\sim}213^{\circ}C$ based on average geothermal gradient of $35{\sim}50^{\circ}C/km$. Among eight systems, Arhangai and Khentii located in A type hydrothermal system, Khovsgol in B type, Mongol Altai plateau in C type, and Over Arhangai in D type are the most feasible areas to develop geothermal power generation by Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). Potential electric power generation by EGS is estimated about 2,760 kW at Tsenher, 1,752 kW at Tsagaan Sum, 2,928 kW at Khujir, 2,190 kW at Baga Shargaljuut, and 7,125 kW at Shargaljuut.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2011

Geothermal energy is believed to be an important source among the renewable energy sources to provide the base load electricity. Although there has been a drastic increase in the use of geothermal heat pump in Korea, there is no geothermal power plant in operation in Korea. Fortunately, the first EGS (Enhanced Geothermal System) Project in Korea has started in Dec 2010. This five year project is divided into two stages; two years for exploration and drilling of 3 km depth to confirm the minimum target temperature of 100 degrees, and another three years composed drilling 5 km doublet, hydraulic stimulation of geothermal reservoir with expected temperature of 180 degrees (40 kg/s) and construction of MW geothermal power plant in the surface. This EGS project would be a landmark effort that invited a consortium of industry, research institutes and university with expertises in the fields of geology, hydrogeology, geophysics, geomechanics and plant engineering.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.513-523
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• 2011

We estimated geothermal power generation potential in Korea through Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) technology following the recently proposed protocol which was endorsed by international organizations. Input thermal and physical data for estimation are density, specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements from 1,516 outcrop samples, 180 heat production, 352 heat flow, and 52 mean surface temperature data. Inland area was digitized into 34,742 grids of $1'{\times}1'$ size and temperature distribution and available heat were calculated for 1 km depth interval from 3 km down to 10 km. Thus estimated theoretical potential reached 6,975 GW which is 92 times total generation capacity of Korea in 2010. Technical potential down to 6.5 km and considering land accessibility, thermal recovery ratio of 0.14 and temperature drawdown factor of $10^{\circ}C$ was 19.6 GW. If we disregard temperature drawdown factor, which can be considered in estimating economic potential, the technical potential increases up to 56 GW.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.197.1-197.1
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• 2011

Target generation capacity of geothermal power generation pilot plant project through the Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) with a doublet system down to 5 km depth was estimated. Production and re-injection temperatures of geothermal fluid were assumed $160^{\circ}C$ and $60^{\circ}C$, respectively, based on reservoir temperature of $180^{\circ}C$ calculated from the geothermal gradient of $33^{\circ}C$ in Pohang area. In this temperature range, 0.11 of thermal efficiency of the binary generation cycle is a practical choice. Assuming flow rates of 40 kg/sec, which is possible in current EGS technology, gross power generation capacity is estimated to reach 1.848 MW. Net generation considering auxiliary power including pumping power for geothermal fluid and condensing (cooling) energy of working fluid can be 1.5 MW.