| Abstract |
The six years from 2015 – 2020, inclusive, saw the focus of geothermal development in Australia continue to move from electrical power generation to direct-use and ground source heat pumps (GSHPs). All geothermal power projects existing prior to 2015 were suspended or abandoned in the subsequent six-year period, including the high-profile Cooper Basin engineered geothermal systems project. Australia’s longest-running geothermal power station, the 120 kWe plant at Birdsville (Queensland), was decommissioned in 2018 in favor of solar PV with battery storage. However, a new 310 kWe geothermal plant was commissioned at Winton (Queensland) in early-2020, and a tender was released in mid-2019 for design and construction of another small geothermal plant in Thargomindah (Queensland). Rising domestic natural gas prices over 2015–2019 triggered interest in direct-use of geothermal heat across the country. The local government in Portland (Victoria) remains enthusiastic about re-commissioning a suspended geothermal district heating system, but this can only be achieved with state government support that has so far proven elusive. In Western Australia, space and pool heating for aquatic centers represented the majority of new direct-use geothermal installed capacity. A census completed by AGA in 2018 identified 86 MWt of installed capacity (direct-use and GSHPs) for all operating geothermal projects, tipped to grow to 151 MWt during the period 2020-2025. In 2020, the Australian geothermal hot springs industry was in a period of significant growth. Such projects are generally embraced by local communities as opportunities to provide permanent local employment and year-round tourism attractions. Two existing and six new commercial projects are well evolved in the state of Victoria, with others in various stages of planning or under construction in all other states of Australia. PhD research into the mental and physical effects of hot springs is underway at RMIT University, while a PhD student at Victoria University is researching the economic and social effects on communities as a result of hot spring developments. The economics of GSHPs are at a tipping point in Australia, with several large housing developments electing to include community scale installations of GSHPs (including up to 900 houses in one New South Wales development.) In 2018, GSHPs comprised 61 MWt of the identified total installed geothermal capacity in Australia but only one quarter of the produced thermal energy. Their use was mostly for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) although there were some reported applications for residential pool heating. GSHPs were installed across Australia but most systems were in eastern states, primarily New South Wales. Up to 20 MWt of residential GSHPs capacity might have been installed prior to 2000, but this is difficult to quantify due to a lack of standardized reporting of GSHP installations in Australia. Direct-use looks set to continue as a focus of geothermal development in Australia for the next five years, while interest in geothermal power could see a renaissance if federal and state policy settings shift towards supporting low emissions, reliable, cost effective power supply. Individuals within the Australian research sector remain aware of and enthusiastic about the potential for geothermal energy in the country and have played a key role in raising awareness of the potential for GSHPs in particular. Researchers are investigating the challenges and opportunities for geothermal direct-use and power generation. Representation of the Australian geothermal sector shifted in 2016 to the newly incorporated Australian Geothermal Association (AGA) with individual membership after deregistration of the previous Australian Geothermal Energy Group (AGEG) and Australian Geothermal Energy Association (AGEA) of institutional membership. AGA replaced AGEG as the Australian affiliate to the International Geothermal Association. |