The perspective of enhanced geothermal energy integration with concentrated solar power and thermal energy storage
Alberto Boretti
Abstract
Abstract A renewable energy‐only grid must couple mutable energy supplies such as wind and solar photovoltaic and affordable energy storage by lithium‐ion batteries to dispatchable energy supply such as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) with thermal energy storage (TES) and Enhanced Geothermal Energy (EGS). EGS is centered on the exploitation of the substantial unconventional geothermal energy supplies in the crust of the Earth which is missing permeability and groundwater, with significant opportunities in western Saudi Arabia where the solar resource is also relevant. Regarding conventional geothermal energy, thermal efficiencies of the cycles can be increased to above 30% with EGS, and above 40% through the integration of EGS with CSP and TES, surpassing the 50% efficiency mark adopting advanced ultra‐supercritical (AUSC) technologies.