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<br />
<br />AI The Geysers. PacJhC Gas & Electric Co. has been producmg powel Since 1960
<br />
<br />havf" almnstl)()ll.()II(j kw "f powcr a\'ail-
<br />ablt" by l!liS,
<br />The California steam fielcb wert" dis-
<br />con'red b\- gold prospe'C1nrs in 184i.
<br />but it wasn't until 19~:2 wtwn .John
<br />(;ram hookl'd up a :20-k\\ cenerator to
<br />pro\'id(' d('"ctricity for a nearb\' I'l"'ort
<br />that the st("all1 was first IN.d for pow..r_
<br />.\fter the e~plnratnrY .\l,ti\'ity uf th..
<br />19~Os, the area r('m;tin..d idle ulltil
<br />19.'l.') when ~lal!:n;l I'o\\,'r Co_ It';JM'J {'~.
<br />tellSI\'e areas. B\" I'l_li ..i" sur("{-ssful
<br />w!"lIs had oct'n t.1PpI'd dnd on tht' b.lsis
<br />of 110\\ tests. l't;"r {'olllr;n:t..d with
<br />~Iagna and its pannt'r. ThC'rmal Power
<br />Co,. for tht' pun:hast" of tht" steam_
<br />The su,'cess of ,he pre"l'llt wdls and
<br />analysis of the f{"'<rryoir suggC'St a tOlal
<br />steam n'VTve in excI":'.S of I 10 J million-
<br />
<br />
<br />.... ... '1,; ;r~
<br />
<br />Hot springs: heal !rOI11 magma (a) IS con-
<br />ducled t~rougn s.olid rOCk (b) lna! healS wa.
<br />ter in porous rOCK (cl- Fissure (e) Ihrougn
<br />solid rOCK (d) brings steam 10 surface (f)
<br />P1anl(g) tapss:ea'T1 s()urce
<br />
<br />kw capacil\" peT y..ar. The stram pro-
<br />duced al Tht' (;I~Y~N is almmt ideal.
<br />wilh Iillle brine and onl\- 05'1 of non-
<br />condensable gaS("tJlIS Illaterial,.
<br />Italy leads the lield, Italv ha~ led the
<br />wav in I:(t'OIhennal p')\n'r produnion
<br />wilh mon' Ihan half of the- world\
<br />7:!8.000-kw output l'Clll1inll from it..
<br />Lardcrdln field. Power from Sle;U1l wa~
<br />lirsl prodllCl-d in haly hy I'ril1{'e I'i"f(l
<br />(;innri COl\li in 19(H 10 lil!:hl 1'1\(' bmp
<br />bulb,_ The lotal capacit\' of Ihc II
<br />pLiIlls 011 ,I('am IOcLl\' is :m9.0CXl kw,
<br />:-.;{'\\ Zt'abnd is s(',,(lnd with 192,000 k\,'
<br />produced .\1 ils "-airakd phnt. B\'
<br />19i5 Thc G'~\'Sl'rs will have ,urpas.....d
<br />bolh in P"'W('f produclion. bt'cauS("
<br />both the I.ard..rello and \\'airakl'i fields
<br />have readIed thrir steam withdrawal
<br />
<br />limits. If any more is withdrawn, pres.
<br />sllre will drop. le.adiol:( 10 lowcr yields.
<br />Bargain rate electricity. "'hen P(;& E\
<br />tig-urt.... for a\'efal:((' fuel and ',!>eralinl!:
<br />costs for cOIl\"cmional units are cum.
<br />par{'d 10 C:<-"t)llwrmal plall1s (based on
<br />I!HIH lil!:un"'). Ihe f"Connmic'i of Tlw
<br />(;"\S('N is ob\'iflll'i. Fud ,lnd operating
<br />cost for ("ol\\Tntional th('rmal power
<br />was :>.61 mill~ JX'r kwh a\ opposed \fl
<br />::!.i'5 for Tlw (;e\,se["';. PC&f.'s stalisli.....
<br />.Ift" !lot unique. I.arderdlo's op"fiuion
<br />CO\I.. J.:! mills pc~r kwh (althoug-h n"{'("nt
<br />Ullrt.I";I,,-d li2;lIf(" af(.' hil{hlTl and Ja-
<br />rim'., :\1.ltsukawa plant '\.1 mills.
<br />~kxico's ij.OOO-h, Cierro I'rif"to
<br />planl. curren!l\" Undt'f con'tnKtion.
<br />will Cfl,t .lboUI 511.1 pc.r killl\\,ill 10
<br />comlfUCI. L'nils :-';0. .5 and 6 at The
<br />Ge\''\CN. dll(' for com pie-lion at Ih.. end
<br />of Ihis \T<If. will ,'osl SIO~1 per kw, The
<br />hr-.-t two \llllts cosl Sill pt'r kw and
<br />:-';llS :'1 ;lnd I. SII-L These fi~ufl:'s are
<br />half 10 tWlHhirds of the cOSI per kilo+
<br />wall for conn"ntio!lalthermal plants,
<br />Olll'(" a 1{f'1l\lwrmal planl is built,
<br />Ihen' an' \inu<llh' no fud eosts. In
<br />Chile. c.mlp;Hali\t' stuJie--; demonstr<llc
<br />that t"ln'tricit\" produced by l{coth..rlllal
<br />pr"n's~in~ is ahoul jll', chcapn than
<br />Ihat IIlTllt'"d out by Chile', h,dro plants
<br />.\lId :!.1'1- ch('apeT !tl;l!l pO\\('r product'ti
<br />wilh dit'sd flld in its nnrtlwrn pro\"-
<br />1Ill'C'S. TeSls in lIung<lf\" indicate Ih;lI
<br />IlI'.ulIlc b\' !::l'"thermal SOlUTt"; is -IO?'-
<br />r1wapcr than ('(Jal h("atin~. All g('othl"r-
<br />mal pbnts op<Talin'l; in thc world !O.
<br />da\ ar{~ rheapt"r 10 operalc Ih.1Il t.'OI\-
<br />\'{'"ntional fud and Illldcar plants.
<br />MOTe than ineltpensive power. G<-"{l-
<br />Ih("rlTlal resollr,cs can ht' tappt'd for
<br />more than jusl int"pe!lsiH' !>OW('r. In
<br />
<br />Feeblr
<br />.,,all'I'lSPllngs
<br />L1l. '~' -.....
<br />B I." .", ~. - - -..
<br />1:4-.--- . . -t. I .I..' '~:( ~
<br />. ~;~~ ~'~~""'~"""d
<br />
<br />. -,
<br />1:",- 'D':\.'~~"'~'~~~_:' ,..~\..~~,
<br />, _, ~. .. '0. . .,. ....9 ~ c;'J'.'
<br />lit .."",'tt ~ ..~.\...:~ "~'...1:~'~' '.: .\~".~:,.
<br />....6" - '." ~ ~~ .'..'''.. .
<br />
<br />
<br />ccmvedrng ma~ma
<br />
<br />.'
<br />
<br />Insulated resef'lolrs: Water seeps down 10 porous rOCK zone The magna heats lhe solid
<br />rOCK ....h,Ch tr'I turn heals the waTer Because the area near the surtace IS allow permeabll<ty
<br />tf1e hOl waler car;,,'t, 't:,:ape and there IS li:tle evldel'lCe of me reservOIr althe surface
<br />
<br />'1~ \1..,6, 1971 F.:,.a~ 31
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