28/07/2020 - Renewable Energies
On July 22nd, Gabriel Roussie, THERMOCASE® Product Line Manager, shared the specificities and benefits of Vallourec’s THERMOCASE® VIT solution in a webcast presentation with World Oil. More than 230 participants learned about how this technology is an ideal candidate for geothermal applications, thanks to best-in-class insulation performance and high-service temperature and got an insight into the successful closed-loop project with GreenFire Energy.THERMOCASE® VIT for geothermal applications
Geothermal wells can be used to extract energy from beneath the earth’s surface in the form of water or steam to generate electricity or feed district heating. However, conventional well systems can be costly to drill and are not suited to all projects.The challenges posed by open-loop systems
The conventional method for commercial use is an open-loop system which utilizes two wells: an injection well and a production well. Water is pumped down the injection well and flows out through fractures in the brittle zone. Geothermal energy then heats the water, which flows up through the production well.Enter GreenLoop™, an efficient technology using Vallourec tubing
Just over five years ago, GreenFire Energy Inc. - a California based Geothermal Energy company - set out to develop a new technology to expand the scope and reduce the cost of geothermal power generation. This new technology, branded GreenLoop™ is able to use supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) or water in a closed-loop system..Successful industrialization and testing of a promising new technology
Vallourec Tube-Alloy, which produces and repairs accessories used inside oil and gas wells, completed industrialization of the custom VIT solution on-time and successfully delivered the first reverse preload VIT to GreenFire Energy at the beginning of 2019. We then supported the successful running using Smartengo Running Expert under the supervision of VAM® Field Service.The GreenLoop™ demonstration project is a major milestone in the development of closed-loop geothermal power generation. Vallourec was our first choice as VIT supplier as they have the special expertise we needed to tailor the VIT to our specifications. They were responsive and great to work with and we look forward to working with them in the future.
Joseph Scherer Chief Executive Officer of GreenFire Energy