Project Description - Makushin Geothermal Project (Unalaska, Alaska)
To build and own a 30MWe geothermal electrical generation facility with a 30-year design life. Provide wholesale power to replace existing diesel generation with zero carbon emission green energy for the City of Unalaska and its industry.
Project Concept
Install the Power plant in close proximity to discovery well ST 1 which is on the East flank of the Makushin Volcano. The power plant name plate size will be 36MW utilizing 6 each, Ormat Technologies, OEC units.
The power plant is approximately 14 miles from the City of Unalaska, subsea portion is approximately 4.2 miles of those 14 miles. Power and communication transmission will be underground and undersea to the city of Unalaska power grid.
A road will be built from Broad bay to the plant site that is designed to handle loads expected for construction and ongoing maintenance.
The well sites are in remote Alaska region, as depicted on maps provided. It is envisioned there will be three (3) production and two (2) injection wells. Well diameters expected to be 13 5/8 inch and 10 ¾ inch respectively and are expected to be approximately 2,000 feet in depth.
Source and quality of feed stock
The Makushin volcano resource is approximately 14 miles from the Unalaska power grid and town. The geothermal resource was first found in the early 1980’s. After four unsuccessful wells, the fifth well hit big, being called a world class well, with implied to yield 15 – 25 MW. This well is called ST-1 and is considered to be located at the most viable development site.
Millions of dollars have been spent investigating this resource. Participants, to name a few, include Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Republic Geothermal, Alaska Energy Authority and University of Alaska, who each have invested time and research into the value of the resource. The implied resource potential is positive in size, thermal characteristics, and chemical composition and its extent fully characterized, (see separate report on the resource). Over time various entities have examined if the resource could be economically monetized. All eleven attempts have failed (for reasons not related to the resource potential). Those past attempts will provide valuable information in designing our plan going forward.
There is no infrastructure around the Makushin resource. The existing wells were put in via helicopters and are 3-inch diameter. Accordingly, infrastructure will need to be installed, (roads, pads) to facilitate the development of the resource / injection wells and necessary facilities. There is significant infrastructure at Unalaska and it will be utilized as a base for our development scheme.
