Towards the Efficient Utilization of Geothermal Resources
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313 14th New Zealand Geothermal Workshop 1992 TOWARDS THE EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES R. T. Harper and A. Thain Consultant, Tasman Pulp & Paper Ltd. Manager, Wairakei Geothermal Area, Electricorp - Separated geothermal water from production wells at Wairakei, Ohaaki, Kawerau, Ngawha and other less developed fields in New Zealand, contains potentially valuable chemical constituents. In particular, the extraction of precipitated amorphous silica is discussed in terms of its strategic and beneficial value to expanded energy generation in geothermal development, removal of environmentally sensitive constituents and as a marketable commodity in its own right. The prospect of recovering other minerals thereby the full potential of geothermal resources is considered. Expectations regarding high temperature reinjection could be reviewed in consideration of alternative opportunities which have been advanced in recent years. 1.0 INTRODUCTION proceeding with high temperature reinjection of part of the total separated water flow from Wairakei in an The opportunities to better utilize New Zealand's attempt to reduce the impact of geothermal water flow geothermal resources, which contribute significantly to to the Waikato river. Implementation of a reinjection the nation's wealth are addressed in this paper. The scheme at Wairakei or elsewhere, pre-empts to a degree, developments discussed here, represent a potential the options of recovering minerals and extracting further benefit to geothermal resource owners and operators, energy. Reinjection also involves a considerable capital the community and end users of minerals which are investment. The technologies believed important to the identified as being of commercial value. To date, processing of large water streams have advanced chemical processing of geothermal water has not significantly over recent years and have prompted received much attention and engineering solutions have reconsideration of the expectations of reinjection a been provided to treat separated water. However, development strategy for the future development of chemical processing would enable a valuable synergy to geothermal resources. be obtained between geothermal power operation and protection of some natural waterways from separated 2.0 MINERAL RECOVERY geothermal water. The opportunities are considered to fall into three categories: 2.1 Mineral Content of Geothermal Fluids at Wairakei, Ohaaki, Kawerau and Ngawha. Recovery. Acceptable return of water to the environment. Table 1 and figure 1 show the principal chemical iii) Recovery. constituent concentrations contained and minerals and elements recoverable from separated geothermal water Established geothermal developments still involve a for Wairakei, Ohaaki, Kawerau and Ngawha production thermally inefficient process. Rejection temperatures for wells. separated water at Wairakei,. Ohaaki and Kawerau are 155°C and 172°C respectively. In exploited water The net worth of these minerals is substantially less dominated geothermal resources, reject temperatures for than that indicated by the gross value. However, the separated water remain high to minimize a significant gross revenues roughly indicate the level of capital and operating constraint with respect to amorphous silica operating costs which could be tolerated in each case. deposition. Estimates of the recoverable quantities of respective minerals were based on the following water from Other chemical constituents of geothermal water make each field: treatment of it, a responsible task. For example, arsenic and by some parties is considered to be an i) Wairakei 30 million tonnes. environmentally . sensitive constituent of separated ii) Ohaaki 9 million tonnes. geothermal water. With existing technology, responsible iii) Kawerau 7 million tonnes. management of separated geothermal water usually iv) Ngawha 10 million tonnes involves reinjection. For example, Electricorp are 314 Table 1. Potential Quantity and Value of Minerals from N.Z. Geothermal Water. --- silica ---- Lithium - -- Arsenic Trioxide Boric Acid __----.--- silica Lithium . Arsenic Trioxide Boric Acid silica Lithium. .. Arsenic .Trioxide.- Boric Acid Lithium -- Arsenic Trioxide Boric Acid The potential commercial value of these minerals based on quoted prices in the Chemical Marketing 80 Reporter (1991) and market research conducted separately by Electricorp and Victoria University. lithium 2.2 Recoverable Products. arsenic A considerable amount of work has been carried out 60 boric-ac on the treatment of geothermal brines for the recovery of certain minerals, both in New Zealand and overseas (Buisson et. al., 1979; Crane, 1982; Mercado et. Recepoglu Beker, 1991; Rothbaum Anderton, 1975; Rothbaum Buisson, 1977; Rothbaum Middendorf, Thordarson et. al., 1987.). However, much of this' research and development focused on the removal of environmentally sensitive constituents with little effort being directed towards marketable products. The following discussion identifies some of the recoverable products and their market 20 potential. Amorphous Silica Nearly all energy extraction processes result in geothermal water becoming supersaturated with and 0 depositing amorphous silica. The amorphous silica WAIRAKEI KAWERAU deposits in pipework, channels, pumps (where these are OHAAKI used), reinjection well casings and reservoir formation. It may take the form of a dense, vitreous deposit or have a lower bulk density, friable character. Whatever form these natural deposits take, investigations have Figure Estimated Gross Value per annum of shown that the silica does not have suitable physical and Minerals from N.Z. Geothermal Fields dependent chemical characteristics to be of significant on the removal of silica. value. When a newly formed supersaturated silica solution allowed to stand the dissolved monomeric 315 silica polymerizes to form colloidal silica particles which anticipated that the newsprint and filled grade paper can be further aggregated to form a precipitate. The industries could consume the total output of precipitation process can be controlled to produce precipitated silica from the Wairakei and Kawerau silicas with varying physical and chemical qualities which geothermal fields. do have commercial significance. Precipitated silicas are an internationally traded commodity and industries The extraction of amorphous silica is strategic to the which consume these products include; rubber, plastics, full utilization of geothermal resources. Silica removal paper, paint, cement, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, is considered a necessary process prior to downstream pesticides and adhesives. A vast array of precipitated chemical processing and reinjection of lower and other silicas are commercially manufactured from temperature geothermal water. It therefore paves the synthetic sources to suit these applications. The New way for expanded energy extraction, reliable long term, Zealand situation demands that a concerted effort be low temperature reinjection and possibly safe made towards research with a specific end use in mind. environmental disposal to natural waterways. In some It is considered that commercialization of the silica cases the treated geothermal water may become a useful extraction process will require manufacture of a industrial water source, thereby reducing the demand on moderately valued precipitated silica which satisfies an surface water. The scale of the silica pilot plant built by application having a reasonably high demand. On this Tasman Pulp Paper Ltd. brings the basis, a long term supply contract can be established commercialization of silica extraction a step closer and with the end user, from which revenue can support the the beneficial implications such an endeavour has for development of alternative forms of silica, if the need geothermal development can not be overemphasized. A arises. commercial precipitated silica process must take into consideration the needs of an integrated geothermal Research into amorphous silica extraction from development. It should therefore be able to receive geothermal water in New Zealand has been conducted water from conventional separator or binary cycle over several years. DSIR (Rothbaum Anderton, 1975; installations. Further, geothermal water which has been Shannon et. al., 1982) have developed laboratory and processed by a silica extraction plant should be of small field test rigs to extract arsenic and calcium rich acceptable quality €or low temperature reinjection, or precipitated silica with the objective of rendering water surface disposal. benign for environmental disposal. For a variety of reasons none of these developments were accepted as Lithium having commercial significance. It is understood that DSIR have conducted work on a potentially commercial The technology to extract lithium from various water type of silica which has low concentrations of adsorbed sources exists and in situations where brine lithium arsenic; an attractive characteristic in some applications. concentrations are sufficiently concentrated, is considered economic, (Crozier, 1986). Lithium extraction A significant, coordinated research effort by Tasman has been attempted (Yanagase et. al., 1983) from Pulp Paper Ltd., and Victoria University has geothermal water and various methods were reviewed by resulted in a commercial prototype pilot plant being Rothbaum and Middendorf (1986). latter review built to extract several grades of silica which have mentioned the use of membrane impregnated