Plasma drilling technology for geothermal energy utilisation supporting decarbonisation of UK energy sector

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£1,772,920

Sept. 30, 2020

Sept. 30, 2021

* Geothermal energy is the only baseload (24/7) renewable energy source which is scalable effectively to replace present-day fossil fuel installed capacity. Geothermal energy although available in abundance below our feet everywhere is rarely considered commercially viable due to the subsurface challenges related to high drilling costs.
* Successful geothermal projects rely on accessing cost effectively the correct geothermal gradient which varies significantly on the geology between 15?C to more than 100?C per km drilled. To meet the requirements to produce significant and sustainable power requires drilling to depth where optimum temperature are between 240?C - 300?C. The UK is considered not viable for geothermal with only a few small scale projects being developed due to the lower geothermal gradients (20 -- 30 ?C/km).
* GA DRILING have developed plasma drilling technology for faster and more cost-effective drilling through hard rock as an enabling technology for ultra-deep geothermal power. The plasma technologies used have included electric arc and chemically assisted creation of pulses. Recent theoretical studies have focused on combustion and the objective of this project is to develop a combustion system that will meet the requirements for plasma drilling of hard rock.
* The proposed project will contribute to the development of PLASMABIT by theoretical studies of combustion at high pressures at University of Brighton with experimental studies performed by MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES LTD in a combustion bomb designed by ADVANCED ANALYSIS LIMITED. GA DRILLING LIMITED will ensure that the combustion system design is compatible with down hole tool requirements and the heat produced from combustion meets the requirements for PLASMABIT drilling.
* The target by the end of the project is to have sufficient simulation and experimental data to specify the combustion system for a full-scale drilling tool and for GAD to have incorporated this combustion system into the full-scale design.
* Commercial exploitation of the project results for each partner is as follows:

1. GA DRILLING - Ongoing development of the commercial drilling system. Manufacture and sub-assembly of the drilling tool from 2025 with MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES LTD as a supplier for combustion system sub-assemblies
2. MTECH-UK ASSOCIATES - Further involvement with GA DRILLING to develop commercial systems. Manufacture and testing of combustion sub-assemblies for commercial drilling systems from 2025\. Leveraging the motorsports supply base in UK for precision machining / ALM of advanced materials.
3. University of Brighton - Extended capabilities in high pressure combustion modelling. Further involvement with GA DRILLING to develop commercial systems.
4. ADVANCED ANALYSIS LIMITED - Further involvement with GA DRILLING to develop commercial systems.