What are we trying to do?

GTC energy mine captures deep geothermal energy with a single pipe of 1 meter diameter and 7 km length.
The GTC energy mine is a passive system that mines energy from the underground via thermal conductivity. The target output of the pilot systems is 20 Megawatt thermal power @ + 170 °C, during at least 27 years.

-> System output has been calculated by Tractebel, the engineering company of ENGIE.
The goal is to use the thermal power directly or to convert it and supply it to clients.
Energy output in the form of heat, electricity and even recycled CO²-neutral oil or gas usable in current vehicles and buildings. br

• How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice?

  Today over 90% of energy supply is produced with fossil fuels, producing air pollution like CO² by burning the fuels. The air pollution is building up (CO² levels are increasing), indicating that nature can no longer absorb all air pollution. At the same time undesirable effects like allergies, extreme weather conditions, … are increasingly occurring, indicating a correlation between the rise in CO² levels and the experienced undesirable effects.

• What is new in our approach and why do you think it will be successful?

  Eliminating air pollution (e.g. CO² but also NOx, fine dust, … ) of energy production.
  I think it will be successful because most of the system design components exist already. Most of the components have been working for more than 100 years. The main difficulty will be to combine them into one complete system design.

• Who cares? If you are successful, what difference will it make?

  Everybody? Air pollution and climate change effects are major concerns these days!
  1 GTC can neutralize as much CO² as 1.000.000 trees can.
  If successful and payback periods of less than 4 years are proven, then it could neutralize our global CO² output in less than 15 years.
  e.g. achieving CO² neutrality for heating, electricity and transport would require 3000 GTC’s for a country like Belgium (developed, 11 milj inhabitants). This can be achieved in 10 years by using 150 drills each starting a new GTC every 6 months.

• What are the risks?

  There are little to no environmental risks as the system is closed and does not interact with the environment after installation.
  The main risks lies in execution difficulties during installation. However, drilling technology at these depths has been perfected for more than 100 years during drilling for fossil oil, so the risks are manageable.

• How much will it cost?

  5 pilot projects are assumed and with an average cost per project of around 20 to 25 milj each to drill and about 5 to 10 milj for installations at the surface so 175 milj would be a target budget for technology demonstration.

• How long will it take?

  Drilling process for pilot project should take no longer than 1 year and optimal 6 months. With research, permitting and testing included the 5 pilot projects should take no longer than 3 years to realize, depending on government assistance with permitting.

• What are the mid-term and final “exams” to check for success?

  Does it work as advertised?

  Is the energy output of the system in reality similar to the simulations?

  Are investors interested?

  Is the financial return without subsidies high enough to interest investors?

  Is society interested?

  Is the societal value high enough to support and/or subside to speed up roll out?