This is the third geothermal plant announcement in Canada the first was in BC Valemount, the second in Alberta using exhausted oil wells and the this one using an aquifer. The Saskatchewan plan is a small experimental plant but it could easiely scale up to produce a considerable amount of power. Geothermal plants unlike hydro power do not produce methane gas, permanently destroy farm land, decline in power production because of siltation or are effected by climate change. Geothermal plants on the on the other hand have a very small footprint, run day and night uniterupted, and are the cheapest source of power on the planet. They usually start small and continue to expand their capacity over time.
In Arthur White-Crummey's article in the Regina Leader-Post, May 18, 2018, he points out the following:
Marcia said drilling will begin this summer. SaskPower has already signed a deal to buy the energy, which Marcia thinks will start flowing out in about two and a half years. She said there could then be opportunities to build 10, 20 or even 30 megawatt facilities, which could be repeated across the 100 kilometre long aquifer.
Ultimately, she suspects the aquifer could yield up to 500 megawatts of power — enough to power 500,000 households.
But there’s a lot of uncertainty over whether the technology can be economically viable. The first facility is meant to demonstrate that it can work. Marcia said the government funding will help them get the $8 million project off the ground.
I suspect that this geothermal capacity in the province has been grossly underestimated and that the capacity of this province like most locations could power the entire Province.
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