Frutura converts excess geothermal heat to power with Orcan Energy technology
Deployment of Orcan Energy ORC unit at Frutura facility in Austria (source: Frutura)
Carlo Cariaga
5 Mar 2024
Austrian fruit and vegetable grower Frutura has commissioned an energy module from Orcan Energy to convert excess geothermal heat to clean power.
Excess heat from an existing geothermal well in a greenhouse facility by Frutura in the municipality of Blumau in Styria, Austria, is now being converted to power using an energy module from Orcan Energy. The module produces around 625 MWh per year, resulting in savings of around 100 tons of CO2 annually.
In 2016, Frutura opened Frutura Thermal Vegetable World in Blumau, Styria, sparking a new era of sustainable agriculture in Austria. Using thermal water from the well Frutura GT-2 (3300 mMD / 3188 m TVD) to heat the greenhouses saves thousands of tons of CO2 each year and eliminates the need for fossil fuels in regular operation.
Until recently, some of the excess heat generated by geothermal drilling remained unused. Frutura is now converting this excess heat, which is mainly generated in summer, into CO2-free, clean electricity with the help of Orcan Energy. As a result, the geothermal borehole is fully utilized all year round, enhancing the overall energy efficiency. Less than ten months after first getting in contact, Frutura and Orcan Energy have successfully completed the project by commissioning it.
Manfred Hohensinner, managing partner of Frutura: “We are proud to have been producing climate-friendly and tasty fruit and vegetables in Austria for years. Now that we have become independent of fossil fuels for heat generation, it was a logical step to convert the excess heat from geothermal drilling into electricity. Orcan Energy was the ideal partner for us, providing all the flexibility we need to respond to any changes in the future thanks to their modular approach.”
Andreas Sichert, CEO of Orcan Energy: “Frutura is the best example of visionary entrepreneurship uniting ecology and economy. Together, we combine the direct use of geothermal heat with the production of electricity. With Orcan Energy, heat-to-power is also possible on a smaller scale thanks to our modular approach. In particular, the simple combination with our standardized modules has great potential: We can meet both the heat and electricity requirements of the building sector, commercial and industrial businesses with geothermal energy in a decentralized, CO2-free and attractively priced way.”
“Austria and southern Germany are home to a wealth of natural heat deposits. Frutura recognized and exploited this potential at an early stage. Our thanks go to Frutura’s highly competent project team, who made it possible to implement the project quickly and successfully.”
Power generation from a small thermal output
Power generation from excess geothermal energy pays off even for comparatively small amounts of heat. The module used by Frutura makes economic operation possible from a thermal output of just 1 MW. However, the overall potential is huge: According to recent analysis by a leading management consultancy, the energy potential of converting excess heat from existing geothermal drilling into electricity is around 300 thermal TWh per year. This means that a huge opportunity for decarbonization currently remains untapped underground.
Orcan Energy has established a good position in the market of utilizing excess geothermal heat for power generation. In 2021, the small ORC units of Orcan Energy were deployed to convert surplus heat from a geothermal plant in Kirchweidach, Germany. The company has also partnered with Baseload Capital on a project utilizing waste heat from existing oilfield operations at Chevron’s San Ardo oil and gas field in California, USA.
Source: Orcan Energy and Goldbrunner & Goetzl, 2019
