THE STRENGTH OF OUR PLANET

How can we benefit of the geothermal resource?

Geothermal energy harnesses the natural heat of the Earth, stored in the rocks beneath its surface. This heat is generated by the Earth’s core and increases in temperature as you move deeper into the Earth, following a geothermal gradient that varies based on the type of rock.

The endogenous fluid, after releasing its heat on the surface, returns to its deep geothermal reservoir and is continuously reheated by the Earth’s natural heat. This perpetual cycle enables energy production without interruption or the need for storage, 24 hours a day, all year round.

Did you know?

Unlike traditional geothermal fields, our projects, such as those in Ostellato, are characterized by the fact that all geothermal fluid, in liquid state, is kept under pressure within a closed circuit so that it does not change state.

TECHNOLOGY

How does a low-to-medium-enthalpy geothermal power plant coupled with a closed-cycle thermodynamic cycle function?

Through extraction, the geothermal fluid is transported from the extraction well to the heat exchanger, where the heat is used to supply district heating networks. This allows for the cultivation of the geothermal resource without any type of atmospheric emissions and for the reinjection of the entire resource back into the original geothermal reservoir.

The benefits of the technology used in the Pangea project

BINARY CYCLE GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Frequently asked questions

The reduced land consumption that distinguishes geothermal energy from other renewable energy production technologies contributes to minimizing the impact of geothermal plants on the landscape. The wells extend deep underground, with minimal surface infrastructure. Therefore, the very configuration of the plant, which primarily develops through underground piping, integrates with the environment, resulting in limited visual impact.
A differenza dei campi geotermici tradizionali, i progetti a media entalpia come il San Giovanni sono caratterizzati dal fatto che tutto il fluido geotermico, allo stato liquido, viene tenuto in sovrapressione all’interno di un circuito chiuso.
This means that the endogenous fluid extracted from the production wells, after transferring its heat to a specific "working fluid" through a series of state-of-the-art heat exchangers, is reinjected back into the geothermal reservoir (at more than 5000 m depth) in volumes exactly equal to those extracted and identical in qualitative terms, without releasing any components into the atmosphere and without creating pressure imbalances in the underground.
This process minimizes the environmental impact while harnessing the natural heat from the earth to produce clean energy.
Another negative environmental impact associated with the exploitation of high-enthalpy geothermal reservoirs is due to the injection of water into the geothermal reservoir to maintain adequate pressure within it. This issue is addressed by injecting into the underground the water obtained from condensation in cooling towers. However, generally, these water volumes are not sufficient for the purpose; therefore, there is often a reliance on using water drawn from surface sources to inject it deep underground, resulting in significant waste of water resources.
For these reasons, high-enthalpy geothermal fields are also more subject to microseismic activity, which does not always reach the correct static parameters related to pore pressure.
With the full reinjection technology, specifically that used by Pangea, these problems do not arise, because the geothermal resource is entirely returned to the underground without a single drop being consumed and without it being polluted in any way.
Geothermal energy is a silent source of energy as it operates without any combustion, which means it doesn't generate any noise pollution. The only mechanical equipment required for the geothermal power plants are the pumps, and they are typically located within enclosed spaces to minimize the noise levels emitted during operation. This makes geothermal energy an ideal solution for areas where noise pollution is a concern.
Geothermal energy is inexhaustible and does not impose time limits for its exploitation. From a regulatory standpoint, permits for the extraction of geothermal resources are granted for a period of 30 years and can be renewed multiple times over time. Plants based on ORC technology ensure equally long operational times.