March 16, 2007—Ormat Technologies has leased six tracts of submerged land along the coast of Texas, totaling more than 11,000 acres, in order to explore the potential of the land’s geothermal resources and, if possible, produce geothermal power from the tracts. Ormat says the company plans to produce power from the hot water associated with oil and gas wells.
Ormat uses its Organic Rankine Cycle technology to draw power from low-quality energy sources, and currently has a thriving business producing power from waste heat, according to the company. The technology uses the heat to vaporize an organic fluid, power a turbine-generator with the vapor, then cool and condense the fluid, all within a closed cycle.
In late January, the company announced that it had entered into a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to apply its technology to hot water produced during oil production. Ormat will supply a power unit for use at the DOE Rocky Mountain Oil Test Center near Casper, Wyoming.
According to the company, an oil well at the center produces enough water at 190 degrees Fahrenheit to generate 200 kilowatts of power. Ormat says 8,000 similar wells have been identified in Texas.
For more information visit Ormat’s Web site.
