The actual efficiency of a geothermal power plant using a 200°C geothermal resource is only about 7%. Take this value as typical of California’s Geysers geothermal field, which produces 850 MW of electric power
a) Find the actual rate of geothermal heat extraction at the Geysers
b) It’s estimated that 35 EJ of energy could be extracted from The Geysers before the temperature dropped from 250°C to the 150°C minimum for a vapour dominated geothermal plant. Given your answer in (a), how long will the Geysers geothermal resource last before the temperature reaches 150°C

Question

The actual efficiency of a geothermal power plant using a 200°C geothermal resource is only about 7%. Take this value as typical of California’s Geysers geothermal field, which produces 850 MW of electric power
a)	Find the actual rate of geothermal heat extraction at the Geysers
b)	It’s estimated that 35 EJ of energy could be extracted from The Geysers before the temperature dropped from 250°C to the 150°C minimum for a vapour dominated geothermal plant. Given your answer in (a), how long will the Geysers geothermal resource last before the temperature reaches 150°C

anonymous · Answer

(a) 7% of x = 850MW