Imperial Valley Geothermal Project Explained

Imperial Valley Geothermal Project
Name Official:Imperial Valley Geothermal Project
Country:United States
Location:Near Calipatria
Imperial County, California
Coordinates:33.1633°N -115.6167°W
Status:O
Commissioned:1982
Owner:CalEnergy(86.4%) EnergySource (13.6%)
Operator:CalEnergy
Geo Type:Dry steam
Ps Units Operational:14 units (11 power stations)
Ps Units Planned:1 unit
Ps Electrical Capacity:432.3 MW
Ps Annual Generation:1,741 GWh (2018) [1]

Imperial Valley Geothermal Project is a complex of eleven geothermal power stations located in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, along the southeastern shore of the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley of California. It is the second largest geothermal field in the United States after The Geysers in Northern California.

Description

Parts of Imperial Valley lie atop the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, a region of high geothermal energy with an estimated 2,950 MW of geothermal potential. Of that total, 2250 MW are currently developable, while the remaining 700 MW would become available as the Salton Sea (a saline lake) dries up.[2] About 403 MW is generated by the existing power plants, ten of which are owned by CalEnergy and one by EnergySource.[3]

Geothermal power and lithium extraction

The geothermal activity below the Salton Sea loosens up lithium that can be mined.[4] The California Energy Commission estimates the Salton Sea might produce 600k metric tons of lithium carbonate per year,[5] of a reserve of 3.4 million tonnes.[6]

In 2016, the Australian firm Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) announced plans to build a 140 MW geothermal power plant and a lithium extraction facility capable of producing 15,000 tons (13,600 tonnes) by 2023 and 75,000 tons (68,000 tonnes) by 2027. The company hopes to create a major new domestic source of the mineral, which is a key ingredient used in batteries for electric cars and energy storage. The project is expected to be operational by 2023.[7] [8] General Motors announced a strategic partnership with CTR in 2021 to secure a local supply of lithium. The majority of the battery-grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate for the Ultium battery will come from this plant.[9]

Geothermal power stations

This is a table of all constituent geothermal power stations.[1]

NameUnitsTypeStatusCapacity
(MW)
OwnerCommissioned
A.W. Hoch 1 45.5 CalEnergy 1989
CE Turbo 1 11.5 CalEnergy2000
Hell's Kitchen ? 140 CT Resources(2025)
J.J. Elmore 1 45.5 CalEnergy1989
J.L. Featherstone 1 55 EnergySource
J.M. Leathers 1 45.5 CalEnergy1990
Salton Sea 1 1 10 CalEnergy1982
Salton Sea 2 3 20 CalEnergy1990
Salton Sea 3 1 54 CalEnergy1989
Salton Sea 4 1 47.5 CalEnergy1996
Salton Sea 5 1 58.3 CalEnergy2000
Vulcan 2 39.6 CalEnergy1985
J.G. McIntosh1Closed loop[10] 20GeoGenCo -

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Electricity Data Browser - Salton Sea Complex (11 plants). www.eia.gov. 2020-02-06.
  2. Web site: The Shrinking Salton Sea and its Impact on Geothermal Development. 2017. geothermal.org. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200206113628/https://geothermal.org/PDFs/Articles/17JulyAug.pdf. 6 February 2020. 6 February 2020.
  3. News: EnergySource's First Geothermal Plant in Imperial Valley Lauded for Creating Jobs, Boosting the Economy, Delivering Clean Energy to 50,000 Homes; Second Plant to Follow. 2012-05-18. www.businesswire.com. en. 2020-02-07.
  4. News: Fernández. Caleb J.. Associated Press. August 31, 2021. Lithium fuels hope for Salton Sea. September 4, 2021. KYMA. en-US.
  5. Alistair MacDonald and Jim Carlton. (February 8, 2022). "Where Is There More Lithium to Power Cars and Phones? Beneath a California Lake.". Wall Street Journal Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  6. Web site: Ferry . Tim . 'Once in a generation' US confirms huge lithium deposits in California’s Salton Sea . Recharge Latest renewable energy news . en . 29 November 2023.
  7. News: Lithium will fuel the clean energy boom. This company may have a breakthrough. 2019-10-14. Los Angeles Times. en-US. 2020-02-07.
  8. News: California needs clean energy after sundown. Is the answer under our feet?. 2020-01-22. Los Angeles Times. en-US. 2020-02-07.
  9. Web site: Cohen. Ariel. July 26, 2021. General Motors Moves To Secure Its Own Critical Mineral Supply Chains. 2021-07-28. Forbes. en.
  10. Web site: Order to Plug and Abandon Wells, Pay Assessment Fees, and Pay Civil Penalties . California Department of Conservation . June 4, 2024 . August 14, 2024.