As you may know Geothermal energy is derived from heat produced in the subsurface. Heat is generated from natural radiogenic decay of elements in the upper crust as well as heat generated from the formation of the planet.
While there is a natural flow of heat from depth to the surface anywhere on Earth, local geological processes & fractures can lead to high-temperature geothermal resources that are within economic drilling depths.
Due to the geologic setting we have, most people would not think of Geothermal Energy to be of use in Ontario. And it would be correct to assume that the resource will be down very deep below the surface. We expect to reach 150 degrees C only when we get down to depths of about 6500 meters and to reach 250 C at depth of about 8000m.
The high cost of going deep for the higher temperatures requires us to maximize the use of all the attributes of the resource. These include the generation of electrical energy & capacity along with the use of the residual heat for thermal intensive processes or industries.
We must also plan to obtain all the green benefits (emission credits) that occur due to the emissions reduction deep geothermal will bring by offsetting other dirty non-renewable forms of heat & energy.
As well as planning to maximize the areas of potential revenue we must also leverage the vast knowledge and experience of the Canadian oil & gas supply chain
to help bring down the costs of deep Geothermal development.
Just as ongoing technology improvements in the exploration and development of natural gas and oil resources, such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, have led to dramatic increases in the fossil fuel resource base and corresponding decreases in commodity prices, new technology and learning-by-doing can reduce the cost of generating electricity from geothermal energy. This is particularly true for EGS, which is technology-based rather than exploration-based.
Doing deep geothermal here in Ontario will enable deep Geothermal to be done anywhere on our planet using the same technology.
We will fight climate change by building new local sources of electrical and thermal energy for Ontario: a source that will never run out, runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is reliable, safe, and efficient.
Wind and Solar are not baseload energy sources, as their output fluctuates daily and is dependent on the weather. However their production is key to our clean energy mix.
Our quickly aging nuclear production can only meet less than half of the power required for Ontario. If we continue to renew nuclear contracts, energy cost will continue to rise as costs are astronomical and nuclear is inherently dangerous if not managed properly.
Along with hydroelectric power, Deep EGS Geothermal sources are the future baseload power supply for Ontario, and potentially Canada.