EASYGO - Efficiency and Safety in Geothermal Operations – A new Innovative Training Network

Abstract

<p>How to operate a geothermal system in the most efficient and safe manner? This is the most important and urgent question after a geothermal resource has been identified. The recently funded Innovative Training Network &#8216;EASYGO&#8216; will answer that question from different perspectives and give high-level training for early stage researchers (ESR; here PhD candidates) in geothermal operations.</p><p>Tackling the challenges of sustainable geothermal operations requires an interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach. To achieve the main objective, researchers will work on the whole chain of geothermal operations, from production to power-plant engineering to injection. They will develop novel monitoring concepts, perform real-time simulations, develop system components, assess novel concepts for operations and test operational parameters at the field scale. The major strength and originality of the programme is that it is developed around large-scale infrastructure. Researchers will have access to the infrastructure in all countries for testing equipment and doing real-time measurements.</p><p>EASYGO graduates will be a new generation of multidisciplinary experts in geothermal operations, trained to achieve standardised efficient and safe operations of geothermal systems to enable the ambitious international expansion plans. The mobility plan of EASYGO envisages each ESR to have at least one academic secondment and one industrial secondment.</p><p>EASYGO consists of an intersectoral team of experts from academic and non-academic institutions. All academic participants are members of the IDEA League, a strategic alliance of leading European universities of technology. The members of the IDEA League with a strong research profile in geothermal energy, TU Delft (The Netherlands), RWTH Aachen (Germany), ETH Zurich (Switzerland) and Politecnico di Milano (Italy), constitute the academic consortium of EASYGO. Additionally, ten industry partners from all countries drive the research from an applied point of view. Our ambition is to contribute to making Europe a world leader in geothermal science, operational technology and education, thereby accelerating the energy transition.</p>