Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are engineered systems that create their own geothermal reservoirs in hot dry rocks by injecting fluid into the ground at high pressure to fracture rock and allow fluids to circulate through the fractures, extracting heat from deep within the Earth.
EGS addresses the limitations of traditional geothermal systems by enabling the exploitation of areas with hot but impermeable rock formations that lack natural reservoirs. This allows for baseload power generation almost anywhere on Earth, not just at sites where naturally occurring geothermal resources are present.
EGS involves drilling wells into hot, impermeable rock formations typically found several kilometers below the surface. Water or other suitable working fluids are injected under high pressure into these wells, fracturing the surrounding rock and creating permeability pathways for fluid circulation. The heated water is then pumped back up through another well, where it can be used to generate electricity in a conventional geothermal power plant.
Manufacturing involves the production of specialized drilling and stimulation equipment, as well as the design and construction of wells and infrastructure required to facilitate fluid circulation and heat extraction.
The build process includes site selection, drilling and fracturing operations, installation of downhole equipment, and connection to surface facilities. Each step requires careful planning and execution due to the challenging nature of deep subsurface environments.
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