Geothermal Energy: Resource Assessment, Plants, and Environmental Impacts

blended course

The use of geothermal resources for electricity production is growing in many countries worldwide and, due to the broad range of skills required, it represents an interesting career opportunity for MSc students in Chemical engineering, Engineering geology, Environmental engineering, Geology, Geo-resources/Geo-energy/Petroleum and mining engineering, Energy Engineering.
The Summer School is held in collaboration with the SPE Europe Energy Conference & Exhibition, which will take place in Turin from June 26th to 28th, 2024. Its program, consisting of online lectures (May 2024), team-work, and a guided tour of the geothermal power plants of Enel Green Power in Larderello (Pisa, Italy), covers various aspects of energy production from geothermal resources.

Course leader

Vera Rocca, Politecnico di Torino

Alessandro Casasso, Politecnico di Torino

Glenda Taddia, Politecnico di Torino

Christoforos Benetatos, Politecnico di Torino

Target group

Master of Science (MSc) students in the following tracks:
Chemical engineering, Engineering geology, Environmental engineering, Geology, Geo-resources/Geo-energy/Petroleum and mining engineering, Energy Engineering.
The summer school is open to a maximum of 25 international students

Course aim

Students will be provided with basics of geology, hydrogeology, and applied geophysics to understand the phases of characterization of geothermal reservoirs (extension, feeding, temperatures, extractable fluid flow rates). Different types of geothermal reservoirs (dominant steam, dry steam, wet steam, and dominant liquid; hot dry rock reservoirs, and enhanced geothermal systems) and geothermal plant types (dry steam, flash, binary) will be presented. Regarding plant types, the focus will be on binary plants and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbines, applicable in a greater number of sites. Additionally, the potential for reusing depleted oil & gas wells for geothermal purposes will be discussed. Simplified calculation models will be presented for a preliminary techno-economic feasibility assessment of a geothermal power plant. Flow and heat transport equations in porous and fractured media will be explained, highlighting aspects that mostly affect geothermal reservoirs and their exploitation. This part of the course will have a practical application in teaching the finite element code FEFLOW for coupled simulation of flow and heat transport, aimed at evaluating geothermal well fields. Finally, the most significant environmental impacts of geothermal plants, particularly subsidence, will be addressed. Students will be actively involved in team work on a techno-economic feasibility assessment of a geothermal plant, based on characterization data of a geothermal reservoir. The team work, based on the acquired knowledge, will also include a simulation of the well field.

Fee info

EUR 20: The summer school program includes a visit to Larderello geothermal plant on the 23-24/06/2024. Part of the related costs are sponsored by SPE Italian Section (Details will be communicated to the participants).