Quaise Energy (Quaise) has partnered with Nevada Gold Mines (NGM), a joint venture between Barrick and Newmont, to evaluate the potential of deep geothermal energy to decarbonize the operations of NGM’s TS Power Plant located in Eureka, Nevada.
Originally running on coal, NGM is currently in the process of modifying the 242-MW TS Power Plant to use cleaner-burning natural gas as a fuel source. The partnership with Quaise explores the possibility of utilizing deep geothermal energy, further reducing the power plant’s fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The partnership underscores the unique capabilities of deep geothermal to decarbonize heavy industrial sectors like mining, and marks the first commercial pilot for retrofitting a fossil fuel power plant to accommodate geothermal heat. This is well aligned with NGM’s 2030 GHG reduction roadmap targets. NGM had also just recently completed the construction of a 200-MW solar power plant.
“Nevada Gold Mines is targeting an overall 30% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030,” said Henri Gonin, Managing Director of Nevada Gold Mines. “We continue to pursue initiatives that economically reduce our reliance on carbon-based electricity sources. Quaise offers a unique prospective solution to hybridize our on-site power generation with clean geothermal heat.”
Decarbonizing the mining sector with deep geothermal
The partnership highlights two key reasons why going deeper is a necessity for geothermal to achieve a significant share of the global energy mix by 2050. The first is location. Deep geothermal wells can be drilled in more places around the world, even next to existing power plants. The second is economics. Deep geothermal can compete with fossil fuels on cost while eliminating carbon emissions by producing as much as 10x more power per well than traditional geothermal.
“Deep geothermal can decarbonize critical industrial processes like mining because of its superior power density,” said Carlos Araque, President and CEO of Quaise Energy. “Our millimeter wave drilling technology is the key to unlocking high-grade geothermal heat, repositioning fossil-fired assets for a clean energy future.”
An excellent example of deep geothermal helping to reduce the carbon footprint of mining operations is in the Lihir Island of Papua New Guinea where a geothermal power plant has been operating since 2001. Several similar projects are being evaluated elsewhere, including in Toka Tindung in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and in the Colluli mining project in Eritrea.
The retrofit of NGM’s TS Power Plant positions Quaise to go from drilling field trials to full commercial deployment. The ongoing partnership opens a prospective new paradigm in clean energy for industrial use applications worldwide.
