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Show Utah Power and Light Using Geothermal Energy Utah Power & Light customers are getting their first geothermal-produced elec- tricity. Compared to traditional generation standards, it's just a small amount some 1,600 kilowatts from a wellhead unit at Roosevelt Hot Springs in southwestern Utah. This program will continue through December with goal of generating 1,600 kilowats derived just from the liquid portions of the geothermal fluid. Later, this wellhead unit will be followed by larger, conventional turbine generators using the steam from the wells. Officials believe this field has the generating potential of some 200,000 to 400,000 kilowatts. 1 ' ' ' La2-weekrepresentatives of federal, state and local'govenv ments, along with those from industry, sponsoring energy companies and news reporters toured this geothermal site the first for Utah and one of four producing geothermal fields in the United States. Several entities are involved in the Roosevelt Hot Springs project along with Utah Power & Light which is constructing the generating facilities. The steam is provided by Phillips Petroleum Co., unit operator for itself and for AMAX Exploration, Inc., Thermal Power Co. and O'Brian Resources. The wellhead turbine generator was constructed by Biphase Energy Systems of Santa Monica, Calif., a joint venture of Research-Cottrell and Transamerica Delaval. UP&L, which is actively pursuing supplemental energy resources, takes the electricity produced at the geothermal project and feeds it into its electrical network. The Electric Power Research Institute sponsored the early testing of this special wellhead turbine concept and is co-sponsoring the current development efforts of the wellhead turbine. EPRI is the research and development arm for the electric utilty industry. This Utah geothermal project began when Phillips discovered the Roosevelt Hot Springs geothermal resource in 1975 after extensive exploration work which started in 1972. Phillips and the unit partner have drilled 11 wells and spent over $7 million in reservoir testing and engineering design. In September 1980, Utah Power & Light signed a contract with Phillips Petroleum for the production of electricity from geothermal energy. The Phillips Utah Power & Light agreement called for UP&L to build a 20,000 kilowatt power plant designed to use geothermal energy produced by Phillips from the Roosevelt Hot Springs field. " In -May,--UP&L announced plans to produce electricity from geothermal steam by fall 1981 about three years ahead of the scheduled 20,000 kilowatt unit. The reason for the speedup: a breakthrough in geothermal technology, specifically, successful development of a wellhead unit by Biphase Energy systems, a Transamerica Delaval, Research-Cottrell joint venture. On September 16 the rotary separator turbine completed its journey from Delaval shops in Trenton, NJ, and was placed on its foundation at Roosevelt Hot Springs. Wiring and piping were completed by UP&L and Biphase. On October 23, Phillips began operation of its wells, and geothermal water and steam were first admitted to the rotary separator turbine, and it began generating electricity into a load bank for test purposes. Following early test operations, the unit was first synchronized to the UP&L electrical system on November 10, just 55 days after the unit's arrival at the site. UP&L contract with Phillips gives the utility right to Phillips share of the geothermal resources on the Roosevelt Hot I I m I m I Steam rises from behind Utah Power and Light Company's substation where electricity generated by the rotary spearator turbine enters UP&L's electrical system. Unit is located near Mltford, Springs Federal Unit. Subsequently, UP&L signed a contract with the ATO group AMAX Exploration, Inc., Thermal Power Co. and O'Brien Resources to secure rights to the remainder of the resource in the unit. Under terms of these contracts, UP&L initially is to build a 20,000-kilowatt generating plant. Work on this commercial plant is now proceeding and engineering of the unit is 20 percent completed and scheduled for operation in the spring of 1984. The cost of this unit is estimated at some $32 million. (Continued On Page Eight) Artist's rendering shows Utah Power and Light Company's 20.000 kilowatt generating unit which will utiliie geothermal steam to produce electricity. The unit, located in Beaver County, is expected to be in operation In 1984. Power is already being generated at site. Utah Power Using Geothermal Energy (Continued from Page 1) As the resource is developed with more geothermal wells. UP&L will construct additional power plants of either the wellhead type of 5,000 to 10,000 kilowatts or central pants of 50,000 kilowatts. The Biphase rotary separator turbine offers the production of 20 percent additional kilowatts per pound of geothermal fluid as compared to the geothermal system operating on steam alone. By utilizing this smaller wellhead unit prior to 1984, when the 20,000 kilowatt plant will go on line, researchers will have expanded knowledge of this resource. Utah Power & Light Co. generates 95 percent of its power from coal-fired plants. However, the company says because of the growing demand for electrical energy in its service area, it recognized the need to develop energy supplements such as geothermal. Beginning in the early 70's, UP&L participated in efforts to develop geothermal energy. |
