Partnership formed to investigate geothermal potential in Hongchailin, Taiwan

Yilan, Taiwan (source: flickr/ Emilie Chen, creative common)

Academia Sinica, the national academy of Taiwan, and CPC Corporation Taiwan have signed a “Memorandum of Cooperation on Green Energy Development” for the exploration of the potential resource in the Hongchailin area of Sanxing Township in Yilan County, Taiwan.

According to preliminary studies, the Hongchailin area has the potential for geothermal power generation. However, more studies will need to be undertaken to assess the temperature and extent of the geothermal resource. Li Jiancheng, a researcher at the Institute of Geosciences at Academia Sinica pointed out that one well can generate about 1 MW of power and supply up to 2,500 households.

Li Jiancheng also recounted the results of the “National Energy Science and Technology Project” that had drilled exploration wells in Hongchailin a few years ago. The two wells were drilled to depths of around 2 kilometers but had reached temperatures of only 120 degrees Celsius, which was not high enough to support geothermal power generation.

However, the academic field of geothermal research has advanced through the years and the power generation potential of Hongchailin can now be more accurately estimated. “We need a more accurate grasp of the temperature distribution of the underground heat storage layer and a clearer scientific analysis. This time, we will simultaneously implement a more comprehensive and deeper underground exploration, including a more comprehensive magnetotelluric method, seismic analysis method, and geological three-dimensional structural profile analysis,” he emphasized.

The project team will also adopt a different method of designing and strategizing the drilling targets based on a more detailed study of the subsurface heat source. The target for this project is to achieve temperatures of at least 180 degrees Celsius.

We had previously reported on the partnership formed between CPC Corporation Taiwan and Schlumberger for a global strategic cooperation framework agreement that aims to jointly carry out the planning and deployment of projects in geothermal energy, carbon neutrality, and digital transformation.

Source: UDN