Research Priorities for the Australian Geothermal Industry

Abstract

The Australian Geothermal industry has had two projects drill into deep EGS reservoirs and two into deep sedimentary reservoirs. All four projects have encountered significant technical challenges in developing these resources. These challenges have also added to the uncertainty around the development of other geothermal projects in Australia. The Australian geothermal research community has established the Geothermal Research Initiative (GRI) to provide a mechanism for coordinating research activities to address these challenges. The goals of the GRI are to assist the industry in demonstrating the technical viability of geothermal energy in Australia and to then develop technologies that help to drive down the costs of energy produced from geothermal resources, providing a secure competitive energy source for the nation's future. This paper provides an overview of the research priorities identified by the GRI through a review of the progress the industry has made so far and in close consultation with the geothermal sector in Australia. We also outline the research program that is developing to tackle these priorities and the opportunities to implement this program provided by the demonstration projects under development in Australia.