| Keywords |
Canada, power generation, direct use, geothermal heat pumps, policy, hot sedimentary aquifers, economics, financing |
| Abstract |
Geothermal energy in Canada is currently only utilized for space conditioning through the use of ground source heat pumps; and for bathing and swimming in naturally occurring hot springs and geothermal natatoriums. Geothermal heat pumps have been deployed across the country and have seen significant growth over the last decade. More than 150 thermal springs are known to exist in Western Canada but only 48 have sufficient data for characterization. 12 have been developed into commercial hot spring resorts and spas that account for the only direct use in Canada with an installed capacity of roughly 15MWth. Geothermal power generation has been explored for several years but policy limitations and the lack of adequate provincial and federal support has stifled any substantial progress towards a viable industry. It is estimated that over 5,000 MWe is available from shallow geothermal resources, including hot sedimentary aquifers, using current technology with an additional 10,000 MWe or more available in deep geothermal resources for future exploitation using enhanced geothermal systems. There are currently 5 active power generation projects in Canada but none have moved past the feasibility phase. 1 power generation project and 2 direct use projects were also recently discontinued for non-technical reasons. It is difficult to establish the economics of projects in Canada due to the absence of operating plants. Current industry initiatives include the development of the National Geothermal Roadmap and Implementation Plan, the Canadian National Geothermal Database, provincial/territorial geothermal favourability maps, and various lobbying efforts on the part of the Canadian Geothermal Industry Association to build provincial and federal policy support for the geothermal industry. It is noteworthy that the Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX, and the Toronto Venture Exchange, TSX-V have been used extensively for financing global geothermal projects, and to a lesser extent, Canadian projects. |