Dr Isabelle Chambeforte: Geothermal Scientist and GNS Science lead on the exploration of supercritical geothermal technology

The Government is exploring a potential game-changer for securing future energy supply. 

Up to $60 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund has been ring-fenced for exploring supercritical geothermal technology. 

The first $5 million will be used for work in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, to help understand if it's a possibility. 

Geothermal wells are drilled to a maximum depth of 3.5 kilometres, but scientists believe by drilling deeper, more energy will be available. 

GNS Science lead Dr Isabelle Chambeforte told Ryan Bridge that temperatures reach around 330 degrees maximum in the normal geothermal systems, but by drilling a few kilometres deeper, they’ll be able to access temperatures of around 450 degrees.  

She says those temperatures offer a lot more energy per well. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The government is funding further research into supercritical geothermal technology.
What is that, Well, it's like geothermal power generation, only
drilled deeper into the earth where the temperature and the
pressure are both higher. If the research works out, it
could provide more power than the Huntly power station. It's
just the country's largest a GNS and NB are leading

(00:20):
the work. Doctor Isabel Chamberfore is the lead geothermal scientist
and she's with us this morning. Good morning, good morning,
thanks for being with me. First of all, how deep
do you have to drill to get the hottest stuff?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
So actually not really done, much deeper than your normal
gil term all. Well, because in the TVZ of a
normal heat transfer if you want all the TVs that
what I call the TVZ is this vulcany carry out
stop if you want, so you're going down to a
kilometer deeper, two kilometer deeper, which you're wrong, four sol

(00:59):
to six kilometer.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
How much hotter is it there and how much more
energy can you get out of it?

Speaker 2 (01:06):
So the heat is transported with the water that's circulated
in the crush, right, So it's generally around three hundred
and thirty degree maximum in your normal geutomal systems. So
it is by going a little bit deeper, so a
kilometer or two deeper, we can reach temperature both four

(01:29):
under degree programs or for fifty and that is a
lot more energy that we can access per well.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
And presumably you will need different machinery, stronger machinery.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Do we have it? So yes, it's been drilled both conditions,
has been drilled in the past, and not in New Zealand,
but in the world, in Iceland, Japan or the US.
I've already drilled in those conditions, a real rig that
can go at those deaths. It's really common in all

(02:05):
in gas fields. So we do have the drill rig
that can drill that. The key challenge is to design
a well that will be sustaining those higher temperature and
pressure conditions. But it is an engineering problemingly and not
necessarily a true science problem to be solved.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
All right, Thanks so much for that, Doctor Isabelle chamber
Four with US genius science lead for geo Thermal. The
government basically Shane Jones and who is it, Shane Jones
and Judith Collins giving sixty million dollars to try and
drill deeper and get three times as much energy out.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
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