Australia - Country Update

Abstract

What a difference five years makes! The past five years have seen a boom in the geothermal sector in Australia, driven by supportive government policies at State and Federal levels and the presence of attractive non-conventional geothermal targets. The Australian continent has historically been thought of as ‘cold’, due to its location in the middle of a tectonic plate. In spite of this, however, it plays host to world class ‘hot dry rock’ prospects, has the world’s largest hot artesian basin, and a significant number of identified shallow and deep hot sedimentary aquifers.
As of September 2009, the Birdsville geothermal power plant accounts for Australia’s entire geothermal power output, generating 80 kWe net electrical power from a 98°C artesian well in Central Australia. By the time of the WGC2010, however, it is conceivable that one or more companies will be generating several megawatts of electrical power from Engineered Geothermal Systems and/or hot sedimentary aquifer resources. By the time of WGC2010, also, all states and territories in Australia will have introduced specific legislation to allow for the exploration and/or development of geothermal resources. While activity is currently concentrated in the state of South Australia, several projects are well advanced in other parts of the country.
As well as power generation, focus has also turned to direct use applications for Australia’s substantial low temperature geothermal resources. A number of new direct-use projects have come online since WGC2005 and this paper highlights a few of them. Likewise, ground source heat pumps are being installed in greater numbers than at any time in the past.
With supportive government policies, extensive prospects, a large number of companies and an environment of cooperative research, the future for non-conventional geothermal energy in Australia appears bright.