GEG Hosts Ministry Delegate at GeoCool Project Site in India

How’d You Like Them Apples? Iceland Ministry for Foreign Affairs Consultant Gets an Up Close and Personal Look at Our Ongoing Geothermal Cooling Project Development in the Himachal Pradesh.

Iceland Ministry for Foreign Affairs consultant (left-middle with the white shawl) standing with GEG’s Chief Research Officer Vijay Chauhan (middle back) and local villagers in the Himachal Pradesh.

27 October 2022 — Last month, GEG ehf. had the honour of hosting Erik Arling, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Partnership Fund consultant from NIRAS for the Iceland Ministry for Foreign Affairs, at our project site in India. Arling is responsible for reviewing grants for the SDG Fund, the same fund through which GEG was awarded our grant early last year for our geothermal cooling project.

A five-day trip was held to carry out a review of this apple cold storage project, now called GeoCool, in the Kinnaur district of the Himachal Pradesh. This in-depth review was followed by a warm welcome from the local villagers, and GEG along with Arling was able to have a positive discussion with them regarding the project.

The group also went on a site visit to the Satluj (Sutlej) River basin, where the first successful drilling had been carried out just last month. Visits to several other prospective areas with geothermal resource potential were carried out as well.

It is GEG’s hope that the initial success at our first drilling location will continue throughout the region to many more sites, ideally increasing the societal benefits of the project.

Arling getting a look at the literal fruits of the local apple farmers’ labour in the Himachal Pradesh.

This visit from a delegate from the Foreign Ministry was highly acknowledged by the local apple farming community, signifying the importance of the cold storage development project.

Thanks to this trip, Arling also had the unique opportunity to visit the local apple farms and to interact with the growers during the apple harvest, as his trip coincided with the peak season. Throughout this experience, the direct social impacts of GEG’s funded project could be seen in real time by the Ministry.

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GEG Successfully Breaks Ground on Geothermal Cooling Project in India

GEG and the Local Drilling Team Have Managed to Obtain the Required Threshold Temperature for Cooling Following the Official Start of the Drilling Process in the Himachal Pradesh!

GEG CRO Vijay Chauhan (third from the left) and the local drilling team at the first drilling site

06 September 2022 — GEG ehf.’s Chief Research Officer (CRO) Dr. Chauhan has been on location in Northern India with a local drilling team, in order to begin operations on our geothermal cooling (GeoCool) project. The direct use project will utilize the resource within the Himachal Pradesh to provide a cold storage solution for local apple farmers’ produce. 

This will ideally contribute towards increased food security in the region, and will support the overall economy. The collective efforts of GEG’s geothermal cooling project in India greatly reflect our commitment to social sustainability in all of our projects. This project has also been supported by a grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iceland, through their Business Partnership Fund for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — also known as the Sustainable Development Goals Partnership Fund. 

Last week, GEG and the team of local experts delivered the necessary equipment to the project site and stationed the drilling rig in the target area. Following this, the drilling work could finally begin.

With operations officially kicking off on 31 August, GEG is proud to report back that on the first attempt the tapped resource has already proved to be extremely fruitful. The temperature measured at the surface of the first drilling site was 78 degrees C, and close to the boiling point going towards the bottom of the drilled well. This is very exciting news for the future of our cold storage project.

Our CRO’s discovery during the early survey and exploratory work, that the project area’s potential was even greater than his initial estimation, appears to have been accurate so far.

This week, GEG and the dedicated local drilling team are already pushing on to the next drilling site. Check out our LinkedIn page for more updates on the India geothermal cooling project, and to see more photos of the ongoing work in the area as operations continue to progress!

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Read more about our ongoing projects around the world:

Meeting in Delhi between GEG’s CRO and the Chief Minister of the Himachal Pradesh

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10 Years in Kenya – The Geothermal Success Story of GEG

Meeting in Delhi between GEG’s CRO and the Chief Minister of the Himachal Pradesh

Our CRO Dr. Vijay Chauhan, Along With Iceland’s Ambassador to India, Met With the Chief Minister of the Himachal Pradesh to Further Discuss Our Innovative Geothermal Cooling Project

GEG CRO Dr. Vijay Chauhan (far left) with Ambassador Gudni Bragason and the Chief Minister of the Himachal Pradesh Mr. Jai Ram Thakur

28 July 2022 – On July 23rd, GEG ehf.’s Chief Research Officer (CRO) Dr. Vijay Chauhan attended an important meeting in Delhi along with Iceland’s ambassador to India, Guðni Bragason.

There, Dr. Chauhan had the opportunity to meet the Chief Minister of the state of Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Jai Ram Thakur, and to thank him and the state government for granting GEG permission to conduct our exploration studies earlier this year. These studies were performed in order to assess the geothermal resources within the Kinnaur region of the Himachal Pradesh for the ongoing apple cold storage project.

The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss the full scope of further development for GEG’s geothermal cooling project in the state. As horticulture and tourism make up the primary industries of the Himachal Pradesh, a wide variety of other cascaded applications of geothermal utilization were discussed, including: fruit drying, aquaculture, tourism, and heating homes.

Dr. Chauhan explained the advantages of exploiting the available geothermal resource within the Himachal Pradesh, such as increased food security in the region and increased revenue generation for local communities.

Following this crucial meeting, Chief Minister Thakur guaranteed that the state would provide all possible support needed for the success of GEG’s geothermal cooling project, including the utilization of the resource for other geothermal applications, as these can provide considerable benefit to the local community.

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Read more about GEG Cooling and about our grant awarded by the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 

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GEG Introduces New Research Assistants With International R&D Projects

Earlier this year, GEG welcomed an expert team of Research Assistants from a local university to officially join our team and take part in our geothermal energy projects

(From left to right) Alfonso Mohor Alarcón, Jennifer Jolliffe, and Laura Constanza Bocanegra Rodríguez.

19 July 2022 — GEG would like to welcome our new Research Assistants to the team, who are all Master’s students from Reykjavik University (Háskólinn í Reykjavík). They are a part of the university’s Iceland School of Energy graduate program and will be completing their MSc. thesis projects with us here at our headquarters in Iceland. GEG’s Research Assistants will work alongside the rest of the team on the company’s actual, in-progress geothermal projects as a part of the company focus on R&D.

 

Alfonso Mohor Alarcón, from Concepción, Chile, will be working alongside our team on his research into his home country. His thesis topic is a a Technical, Economic, Social, and Environmental Assessment of Geothermal Resources in Chile. Alfonso is a professional geologist with a Bachelor’s in Geology from the University of Chile (Universidad de Chile). He has recently been awarded a graduate scholarship from Geothermal Rising for this research.

“I’m very excited to start working along with the GEG team, I’ve found a group of people with whom we share our perspective regarding the importance of geothermal energy and the possibilities it represents. I’ll be looking forward to making the most of this great opportunity I’ve been given!”

 

Jennifer Jolliffe is from Campbell River, Canada and will be working on her thesis project concerning Geothermal Energy Utilization with a Value-Added Lithium Extraction Component. Jen is a professional geologist with over 15 years of experience and a BScH in Geological Sciences from Queen’s University.

“I am very passionate about my thesis project, because lithium is one of the main strategic elements in the green energy transition. I believe that anyone who is able to help develop our low carbon future should do so and I am so excited to partner with GEG to accomplish my research goals and to give me valuable work experience in this field.”

 

Laura Constanza Bocanegra Rodríguez, from Bogota, Colombia, will be working with our team on our early-stages Ecuador project. Her MSc. project is on Re-purposing Oil and Gas Wells for Geothermal Energy Use in Ecuador. Laura is a professional geologist with over 8 years of experience and a Bachelor’s in geology from the National University of Colombia (Universidad Nacional de Colombia).

“I’m excited to be a part of this amazing team, where the same passion in geothermal and social responsibility will help me to grow as a professional in the geothermal industry. I’m looking forward to start this incredible opportunity!”

 

We are thrilled to have these three MSc. students joining us as official members of the GEG team, and are excited to see where their projects will go and what new discoveries within the geothermal field can be made here at our Iceland office!

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Click here to see GEG’s full project portfolio, and visit our R&D page to learn more about some of the ongoing projects our Research Assistants will be involved in!

GEG ehf. Presents Projects to Executive MBA Cohort

GEG Asked to Present Our Current Ongoing Projects to an Executive MBA Cohort from the US, Hosting the Students at Our Main Office in Reykjavik

06 May 2022 — This past Monday, our team had the honor of presenting our ongoing projects to an Executive MBA cohort from Case Western Reserve University. The cohort travelled from Ohio in the United States to learn more about renewable energy and sustainable business in Iceland.

GEG ehf. was asked to be a part of this tour, and we were delighted to host the 20 students, who work in a variety of fields and industries ranging from medicine to finance, at our main office in Reykjavik.

The MBAs enjoyed a robust discussion on GEG’s modular approach to geothermal development and Iceland’s perspective on geothermal. GEG’s Chief Research Officer Dr. Vijay Chauhan also gave a special presentation on our exciting geothermal cold storage project in Northern India as well as the wide variety of other direct use applications possible with geothermal energy. A Q&A with the GEG team followed. 

GEG Director Tomas Hansson introducing the company to the Case Western Cohort

GEG believes that engagement with other industries and information-sharing is crucial when working in the field of sustainable energy. Increasing the awareness and understanding of renewable technologies, and the roles they can play in our lives and futures, is necessary to one day build a carbon-neutral world together.

 

GEG and Direct Use 

Geothermal Cooling in India

GEG’s Modular Approach

Work Continues in N. India as GEG Advances Its Innovative Geothermal Cooling Project

GEG’s Chief Research Officer is On-site in the Kinnaur District This Month Making Significant Progress in Early Survey and Exploratory Work

31 March 2022 — At the end of last year, GEG ehf. received final permission from the State Government of Himachal Pradesh in India to begin conducting the survey and exploration studies for our geothermal cooling project (GEG Cooling) to provide a cold-storage solution for local apple farmers. This project marks a significant effort towards GEG’s goals for increasing food security and sustainability in local communities.

Over this past month, our Chief Research Officer (CRO) Dr. Vijay Chauhan has been working in the Kinnaur district (Northwest Himalayas region) in India to fulfill this exciting next step in the GEG Cooling project. Following the highly successful introductory meeting at NCUI, Dr. Chauhan went on to perform the project’s early work alongside several stakeholders and local experts.

Dr. Chauhan leading the workshop with local stakeholders

A workshop was held with local graduate students from various STEM fields, farmers, and leading tourism industry professionals, where Dr. Chauhan informed participants on the project activities and aims. Dr. Árni Ragnarsson also presented virtually on types of geothermal utilization in Iceland.

The team working on-site, made up of Dr. Chauhan and local experts.

The team in India’s field work has so far involved a structural survey, identification of the areas for a seismic profile, geochemical studies, and seismic studies. The structural survey was completed on 16 March, and the geochemistry was started soon after. Following this was the current seismic study, begun on 20 March, that has so far spanned several days.

During these in-depth and often thrilling exploration activities, many new hot springs were discovered and investigated by Dr. Chauhan and the rest of the team. Dr. Chauhan stated that they “have identified the areas for seismic profile” and that the area’s “potential is even larger than” his earlier estimation.

Geochemical studies being performed.
Day 3 of the seismic survey work.

All of this is very good news for GEG and for the great potential this cooling project in the Himalayas could have for dramatically improving the social and environmental sustainability in the area. The photo gallery below has even more photos of this exciting ongoing work, all taken by Dr. Chauhan. As the survey and exploratory work is completed, our LinkedIn will have more updates so that others can follow along on this journey.

Follow us to keep updated and read more about our GEG Cooling technology here.

 

Full photo gallery of the survey and exploratory work performed in March 2022:

Workshop with local stakeholders and experts, lead by GEG CRO Dr. Vijay Chauhan
GEG’s CRO performing a geothermal resource assessment as part of the survey studies for our cooling project in India.

GEG Chief Research Officer and the India Ambassador of Iceland Meet with the NCUI

Exciting Discussions on Geothermal in New Delhi, with GEG ehf. at the Forefront

On the 21st of February, GEG and the Government of Iceland held an introductory meeting at the National Cooperative Union of India headquarters.

From left to right: NCUI Chief Executive Dr. Sudhir Mahajan, Ambassador Guðni Bragason, NCUI Managing Director Krishna Hydro, and GEG CRO Vijay Chauhan. (Government of Iceland)

02 March 2022 — Early last week, our very own CRO Dr. Vijay Chauhan and India’s Ambassador of Iceland Guðni Bragason met at the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) headquarters in New Delhi, India, to give an introduction of the community benefits of geothermal direct use applications. Dr. Chauhan is currently on location in India to perform the early survey and exploratory studies for GEG’s innovative new geothermal cooling project, and the NCUI meeting marked an important milestone in the progress of this project.

Meeting with key NCUI individuals, including Chief Executive Dr. Sudhir Mahajan, Dr. Chauhan was able to present our cold storage project, which will be taking place in the Himachal Pradesh in Northern India. The GEG Cooling project will allow for the geothermal-powered refrigeration of apples for local farmers in the area, which will be an important contributor towards food security. Ambassador Bragason emphasized the importance of renewable, geothermal energy in local communities and for their food production.

GEG ehf. CRO introducing our geothermal cold storage project at NCUI. (Indian Cooperative)

Direct engagement with communities and local stakeholders is an important aspect of GEG ehf.’s project development, as well as to strive towards environmental and social sustainability in all the work we do. This introductory meeting in New Delhi represents this mission, and serves as an exciting point in the early work being performed in India to push forward GEG Cooling.

Read the article on the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs website here: tinyurl.com/diplomaticmissions
Read the post from the National Cooperative Union of India here: tinyurl.com/NCUImeeting

Kenya and Iceland Named Among the Top 10 Countries for Geothermal in 2021

Check out this article by ThinkGeoEnergy on the Top 10 Geothermal Countries of 2021 based on power generation capacity, where Kenya and Iceland have made the cut!

In Kenya alone, GEG and its acquired assets have delivered over 10% of Kenya’s (and 9% of Africa’s) total installed geothermal power generation capacity! Globally, they have contributed 86 MW in installed geothermal power generation capacity thanks to GEG and its assets’ efforts and our power plants in both Iceland and Kenya.

Read the full article here: ThinkGeo Article on the Top 10 Geothermal Countries of 2021

Read GEG and its assets’ history in Kenya and Iceland here: History – GEG POWER

Green by Iceland Interview with GEG CEO Sigthor Jonsson

Green by Iceland interview screencap

03 December 2021 — Green by Iceland, a local platform for the cooperation on climate issues and green solutions, posted an interview last month featuring our very own CEO Sigthor Jonsson regarding GEG Power’s ongoing work in geothermal development.

 

 

In the video, Sigthor discusses our journey as a company starting with our pilot project for KenGen in Kenya, to our now 86 MW of geothermal power generation capacity. The interview highlights GEG’s innovative modular approach and our new company mission and vision, including GEG’s commitment to environment, community, and the exploration of more direct use opportunities.

GEG is one of Green by Iceland’s GreenTech partners, and is also featured on their website as a prime example of Iceland’s green solutions and renewable energy expertise. Check out the full list of Green Tech partners here on their website, where GEG Power can be found underneath the geothermal sector.

 

Watch Green By Iceland’s interview with our CEO here on their YouTube channel: Green by Iceland – GreenTech Partner: GEG Power – YouTube and for more content follow GEG Power on YouTube here: GEG Power – YouTube

Successful delivery of turbine-generator package for Icelandic geothermal plant

GEG is proud to report the successful conclusion of its contract to supply and build a 5 MW turbine-generator package for the Bjarnarflag geothermal power plant in the Northeast of Iceland.

GEG was awarded the contract by Icelandic national power company Landsvirkjun to design, manufacture and supply a replacement back-pressure turbine and generator, which was delivered, installed and commissioned on site.

The previous equipment, initially put into operation in a sugar factory in the United Kingdom in 1934, was set up to utilise geothermal energy for power generation at Lake Mývatn in Iceland in 1969. With the removal of the older equipment starting in March 2019 and subsequent renovations of the station, a new turbine-generator package was installed, as well as new electrical equipment. Testing began for the refurbished station in April 2019 with final testing taking place this autumn with the plant being now fully operational. With the addition of the refurbished station, security of electricity supply to the region improved.

With higher efficiency of the new plant, the plant now provides 2 MW more in power generation capacity, utilising the same amount of steam. A new operating license has been issued, as well as a renewed power plant and geothermal resource utilisation license. Thereby, the future of energy production at Bjarnarflag is guaranteed for the near future.

The Bjarnarflag plant is located in proximity to the Krafla geothermal field in the Northeast of Iceland, and has been an important contributor to the local economy since 1969, satisfying not only local energy demand but also hot water for local heating supply and to the nature baths at Lake Mývatn via excess water from the plant.

“We are proud to see the Bjarnarflag plant starting operation in Iceland. The completion of the contract and our work is a milestone for GEG, as it was our first contract outside of Kenya, following our delivery of 15 modular geothermal wellhead power plants to KenGen in the Olkaria steam field in Kenya. It has been an honour being trusted to put our geothermal expertise to work and particularly in Iceland, one of the leading countries in the geothermal sphere. With the successful delivery and set-up of a back-pressure unit, we have also expanded our solution offering for small-scale geothermal power plants beyond flash-based turbine-genset packages.”, says Sigthor Jónsson, Managing Director of GEG.

“We can proudly present a geothermal power project successfully executed with the coordinated effort by Icelandic professionals, supplemented by high quality equipment suppliers. Special thanks to M+M Turbinentechnik along with our Icelandic subcontractors Deilir Technical Services, Orkusýn and PSC.”, says Snorri Einarsson, Managing Director, Technology & Engineering of GEG.

GEG is a pioneer in geothermal modular power plant technology. Delivered on an EPC/ turn-key basis, GEG’s solution allows for an approach to geothermal power development using modules, commissioned on site in a short period of time. It enables a reduction in capital cost and project risk, providing a quicker payback on investment. The company offers plant sizes from 3.5 MWe to 10 MWe in single or twin turbine set-ups. Since 2011, GEG has successfully built and delivered 16 geothermal wellhead power plants with a total installed power generation capacity of 86 MWe.

See the official release by Landsvirkjun