Albioma granted geothermal research permit in Reunion Island

The Piton des Neiges shield volcano, Reunion Island (source: Dunog, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Carlo Cariaga 2 Apr 2024

The Ministry of Economy, Finanace, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France has granted energy company Albioma a five-year geothermal research permit for an 80-square kilometer study area in Reunion Island.

The “Piton des Neiges” permit area encompasses the Salazie and Cilaos municipalities, and is in the vicinity of the Piton des Neiges volcano. The permit was awarded following a tender process initiated back in 2022. ENGIE Solutions had also submitted an application for the “Cafres-Pelmistes” geothermal research area, but no decision on this application has been published yet.

Within the five-year period granted by the permit, Albioma will need to obtain land permits, conduct environmental impact studies, possibly build access roads, and apply for drilling permits. If all goes according to plan, drilling can proceed before 2027 with a work program for three exploratory wells. The goal is to put up the first geothermal power plant in Reunion Island within 8 years, pending the results of the detailed resource assessment.

Albioma will engage the services of the Compagnie Française de Géothermie (CFG), a subsidiary of the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), to execute the exploratory work program. The BRGM had previously already drilled wells in the Salazie region, indicating temperatures of more than 190 °C at depths of more than two kilometers. However, the wells did not have enough pressure to support power generation.

Cilaos is similarly interesting based on a study carried out by 2020 at the University of Reunion. The results of the study indicate temperatures of thermal waters exceed the threshold of 150 °C and may have a maximum of 210 °C. The preliminary data in both Salazie and Cilaos support the possibility of commercial exploitation of geothermal resources for electricity generation.

Camille Paquez, Geothermal Project Manager at Albioma, says that the knowledge on geothermal energy utilization and drilling have evolved greatly in the past years. Moreover, Albioma has acquired shares in geothermal developers in Türkiye (Gümüsköy in 2021 and Kuyucak Geothermal in 2022), further reinforcing the company’s geothermal expertise. More recently, Albioma announced plans of drilling an exploration well at the Kuyucak geothermal field.

As per the terms of permit application, Albioma has committed to allocated EUR 5.8 million for the geothermal research project. However, the company is aiming to have a financial guarantee in case the research project fails. Nelly Noël, Environmental CSR Manager at Albioma, says that such a mechanism already exists in mainland France, and now they are appealing that it be extended to the overseas territories.

Source: Geothermies.fr, Legifrance, and Clicanoo