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GM2000
The technology company QHeat has developed a solution that makes geothermal energy more accessible to those who need it. Wells drilled to a depth of 2000 meters can now be used not only as an inexhaustible source of energy but also as energy storage in a cost-effective way.
“For decades, the oil and gas sector has been drilling down to kilometers of depth,” explains Erika Salmenvaara, CEO of QHeat. “There’s nothing particularly new about drilling deep wells, but what is new is how we can now extract geothermal heat cost-efficiently from these wells.”
Between 2016 and 2020, a well-drilling project was underway in Espoo, Finland but it was ultimately discontinued. “The project in Espoo drilled to a depth of about 6 kilometers. Our company’s founder, Rami Niemi, was involved and realized that the method used at the time was not economically viable. To smartly extract energy from bedrock that was compressed during the ice ages, a new type of solution needed to be developed.”
2000 meters is enough with the right technology
QHeat realized that drilling to a depth of 2000 meters was sufficient to achieve an optimal input-output ratio. “The deeper you drill, the greater the well’s heat production potential becomes, but the drilling costs also increase. When comparing the costs and the value of heat production at different depths, the best cost-efficiency ratio is found at 2000 meters.”
QHeat’s solution collects heat in a completely new way. “Our innovation is based on creating a coaxial flow in the well. An insulated central pipe is installed in the well, allowing energy to be brought from the depths to the surface without heat loss. Previously, the deeper the well was drilled, the greater the heat loss became.”
Installing the central pipe in the geothermal well also offers another excellent benefit. “By reversing the flow direction of the well, it can be turned into a heat storage unit, releasing energy when needed.”
By drilling to 2000 meters, heat production can also be brought closer to its end users. “Traditionally, heat energy has been produced by burning fossil fuels in centralized heat production plants, far from the end user. Deep geothermal is suitable for the needs of a decentralized district heating network, as it can be produced and stored close to those who need it.”
Impressive also in terms of facts
To convert different forms of energy into heating energy, heat pumps are required, and their efficiency varies depending on the energy source used. Heat pump efficiency is measured by the COP (Coefficient of Performance). It indicates how many units of heat energy a heat pump can produce with one unit of electricity. “In district heating networks using air-to-water heat pumps, the COP is 2.5,” says Erika Salmenvaara. “If the energy source is a geothermal well 200–300 meters deep, the pump’s efficiency is 3.5. By using our technology and a 2000-meter deep well, we can achieve a COP of up to 4.5. This means that despite the initial investment, a deep well is the most cost-effective energy source.”
Drilling deep geothermal wells is also smart beyond just economic factors. “A 2000-meter deep well produces emission-free, clean energy. It takes up 97% less land area than traditional wells, making it possible to implement in densely built urban environments. Overall economic efficiency is also improved as the well serves as both an inexhaustible energy source and an energy storage unit.”
Geothermal energy’s positive effects are also societal. “This energy form improves the country’s energy production self-sufficiency. It shortens the energy production supply chain and ensures its responsibility.”
Multiple applications, many beneficiaries
The most significant beneficiaries of deep well drilling are those who generate waste heat. “For example, deep energy storage is a smart solution for waste incineration plants. When the waste heat produced by the plant is stored in the well, it can be released into the district heating network when consumption is high.”
Storing waste heat would also benefit cities aiming for energy circularity. “Urban planning should make better use of waste heat by storing it in deep geothermal wells. Energy could be retrieved from the wells when demand for heat is highest.”
Real estate investors also benefit from geothermal energy. “If you’re looking to increase the value of your property, self-sufficient, clean energy is one of the most important investments. There is a lot of research showing that utilizing self-sufficient renewable energy positively impacts property value. Current knowledge suggests it can increase the value by up to 10%.”
Development continues, with the user’s benefit at the core
QHeat’s development of geothermal technology continues. “So far, we’ve mainly focused on the properties and costs of well components. In the future, our product development will focus on the intelligent control of the technology and enabling market integration.”
The energy market of tomorrow requires even more flexibility. “The solution to the need for flexibility is the smarter use of energy through deep geothermal wells. Energy can be produced stably from bedrock, as geothermal energy is not dependent on weather conditions. By storing energy in deep wells, it can be released for use when needed.”
Procrastination benefits no one
Erika Salmenvaara reminds us that the right time to start a geothermal energy project is today. “Climate change is a growing concern, and the situation needs to be addressed in a timely manner. Energy users should understand that if the goal is to operate carbon neutrally by 2030, investments aimed at that goal need to be made now.”
If you’re interested in geothermal energy, it’s worth contacting QHeat or Geomachine. “Share your thoughts with us. Let’s determine together what would be the most sensible way for you to adopt this energy form. We will carry out the project with the help of our network and also assist in securing funding and maintaining the well. By starting the project now, you could benefit from a deep geothermal well in about a year.”
Interested? Contact Geomachine or QHeat!
GMCare
Geomachine provides its customers with digital services to enhance the efficiency of drilling rigs. The Norwegian company Norconsult Boreteknikk AS aims to improve the utilization and potential of its fleet by implementing Geomachine’s GMCare service.
GMCare is a comprehensive tool for real-time machine analysis. It offers clearly visualized information on machine usage, productivity, safety, and operational condition. This data helps prioritize daily machine-related activities, predict maintenance needs, reduce manual work, minimize unexpected downtime, and thus maximize the productive usage of the equipment.
Norconsult Boreteknikk AS is implementing the GMCare service in all their drilling rigs regardless of the brand. The goal of adopting the service is to automate recurring maintenance processes, reduce the amount of manual maintenance work, continuously monitor the real-time operational condition of the machines, and ensure that this information always reaches the right person at the right time.
The training for using the service will be held in September, and the first user experiences will be shared in October. The GMCare service is also used by Norconsult’s maintenance partner, PTO Teknikk AS, which further streamlines the maintenance of the drilling rigs.
Interested? Contact us!
Lounavoima
In Salo, Finland, heat is stored in 2,000-meter-deep geothermal wells drilled with the Geomachine GM2000 geothermal drilling rig. This is the first time that such deep geothermal wells are in operational use in the Nordic countries. Lounavoima has also begun the construction of three new geothermal wells already.
A geothermal heat well storage has been commissioned at Lounavoima’s Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant at the Lounapuisto circular economy park in Salo, Finland. The test run results for the first well have been good, and a decision has been made to construct three additional wells. Upon completion of the project, the WtE plant will have six geothermal heat wells with a combined output of 6MW. Waste heat produced by the WtE plant is stored in the geothermal heat wells and used for district heating in the winter.
Read Lounavoima’s press release on the subject here.
The news about the commissioning of the geothermal wells was also noted by other Finnish media (content in Finnish):
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GMSampler
Geomachine is constantly developing its product range so that soil investigation can be done more efficiently and profitably. The most recent addition to offering is a sampler that enhances clay soil research.
“As the world’s leading provider of geotechnical, geological and geothermal drilling concepts, it is important for us to constantly develop our product range,” says Alexander Packalen, the COO of Geomachine. “Most recently, we have improved our product offering with a sampler for clay soil investigations. It makes the driller’s work more efficient and improves the quality of the sample.”
In cooperation with a Norwegian partner
Geomachine works closely with the Norwegian soil investigation company NGI. The new sampler was developed by NGI, and in the future its manufacturing will be transferred exclusively to Geomachine.
Kristoffer Kåsin, senior engineer of NGI’s field research, sheds light on the background of the sampler’s product development. “The first hydraulically activated sampler was designed decades ago, in 1952. We created this latest innovation to meet the needs of today’s soil investigation. The two-bar system has previously been used in the samplers. This new sampler can be attached directly to the drill rod, which takes away the need for changing the rod and thus increases the working speed.”
The driving force of the sampler is water pressure. “We came up with the idea of using water pressure, because every soil investigation machine has a water pump. By guiding the water through the hollow drill rod to the sampler, a driving force can be generated to push the sampler into the ground. The empty test tube, on the other hand, is sucked back into the rod with compressed air.”
The new sampler makes work a lot simpler. In addition to saving time, the product also improves the quality of the soil sample. “In the new sampler, the piston rod doesn’t move, which ensures that the sample can be taken from exactly the right depth.”
First for use in the Nordic countries
The sampler will be launched on the soil investigation market during the summer of 2024. Geomachine’s customers in Norway, Sweden and Finland will be the first to get to use it. Currently, there are 54 mm and 72 mm diameter versions of the sampler.
According to Alexander Packalen, the new sampler has been proven to improve the driller’s work and is therefore an innovation that Geomachine is proud of. “Users have praised this new solution as great, well-functioning and easy to use. So we dare to promise that this purchase is worth making for every soil investigation professional who wants their work to become easier and more efficient.”
Interested? Contact us!
Ercüment Akcengiz, BODO Int. GmbH & Co. KG
Growth is strongly embedded in Geomachine’s business strategy and new markets are constantly being conquered. Professional, high-quality resellers play a key role in internationalisation, and Geomachine is constantly looking to expand its network.
The latest additions to our dealer network are Turkish Ercüment Akcengiz and German BODO Int. GmbH & Co. KG.
Geomachine welcomes new dealers!
Find out more:
www.geotra.com.tr
www.bodonet.com
GMTracker
When there is something to be repaired in the drilling rig, it is good to carry out the maintenance work as quickly as possible. That’s why we have now opened a connection between the GMTracker data-logger, Geomachine’s service and its contracted service shops.
GMIssues is a feature added to GMTracker, which allows you to report and solve problems in the drilling rig more quickly in cooperation with the machine’s maintenance partner.
A report with pictures of the observations is sent to the maintenance partner via GMTracker. With one click, it is also possible to add the real-time inspection results and fault codes saved in GMTracker to the maintenance work order.
Thanks to a thorough error report, fixing problems is straightforward. For example, the software faults of the drilling rig can now be solved remotely, and in addition, the machine’s maintenance manager can also correct some of the faults himself with the help of the maintenance partner.
Fast problem reporting leads to faster problem resolution. The sooner the problems are fixed, the better the repair costs are kept under control and the cost efficiency of the machine at the best level.
Interested? Contact us!
GMTracker
It is extremely important that the drilling rig works on the site without interruption and problems. The drilling rig’s operational condition is ensured by its daily inspection, which can now be done effortlessly with the GMTracker data-logger.
During the rig’s daily condition check, its structures and the amount of liquids are reviewed, and the operation of its warning and alarm devices is verified. The daily inspection is aimed at ensuring the operational safety and uninterrupted operation of the machine.
Carrying out the daily inspection has now been made extremely easy, as it can be done completely electronically with the help of the GMTracker data-logger. Possible fault findings can be saved in the form of pictures and comments via the data-logger to the GMCloud cloud service, which immediately transmits information about repair needs to the party responsible for the repair.
GMTracker saves the entire inspection history of the machine as uniform documentation. If necessary, it is possible to modify the inspection forms according to the customer’s needs.
Interested? Contact us!
CPTu analytics
CPTu testing has been added as an investigation method to the GMTracker data-logger. This new feature makes GMTracker a perfect tool for producing high-quality data from all the most common ground investigation methods.
Geomachine has now added also CPTu testing to the GMTracker data-logger. CPTu drilling analytics is produced with Geotech Nova CPTu equipment, which works reliably in various research environments. During the investigations, the equipment provides information on, for example, tip resistance, casing friction, pore pressure, drilling angle and, as an option, also the temperature of the research environment. The real-time data transfer feature enables the driller to know what is happening below the surface at all times as the work progresses.
This additional feature makes the driller’s working day even smoother, more efficient and more productive, as all investigation methods can now be conveniently analyzed with the same data-logger.
Interested? Contact us!
DGPS smart antenna
In our opinion, the product is only functional when it genuinely improves work performance. That’s why Geomachine has added a feature to its GMTracker data-logger, thanks to which the drill hole can now be precisely located with the DGPS smart antenna. This makes GMTracker an even more accurate tool for ground investigation data management.
In the ground investigation process, the consultant must add the exact level and height coordinates to the investigation data before handing it over to the next stage of the process.
This is now even easier, as integration with a smart antenna has been added to the GMTracker data-logger. The coordinates located by the antenna can be added as part of the project data already in the field, which makes the work smoother. The integration is now implemented via Bluetooth with the Novatron Xsite Rover antenna, but in the future it’s also possible with similar devices from other manufacturers.
This new feature means faster and more error-free data management for our customers, i.e. a clear added value to the ground investigation data storage process.
Interested? Contact us!
Scanreco
Geomachine is constantly developing new features for its products so that working at the investigation site can be more productive and efficient. One such is the integration between the GMTracker data-logger and the Scanreco radio remote controller.
When changing the rod, the machine operator must remember to acknowledge the change with the physical button on the side of the machine, so that the measurement of the depth of investigation works correctly.
To facilitate this function, we have now built an integration between the GMTracker, which stores the investigation data, and the Scanreco radio controller, which is used to remotely control the machine.
The integration brings added value to the ground investigation data logging process by streamlining it and reducing the risk of errors in the process. Practical work also becomes safer when the rod change can be confirmed by remote control.
Interested? Contact us!