GEODE Series - Webinar: Surface Power Facilities - Geothermal Energy to Electricity

The GEODE consortium is a catalyst for geothermal innovation that brings together members of the geothermal and oil and gas (O&G) sectors to leverage best practices and knowledge from O&G to help expand the use of geothermal energy. As part of that mission, GEODE is creating venues and events to facilitate the dissemination of geothermal and O&G knowledge. This webinar, hosted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), is part of a series of webinars and conversations designed for professionals and students entering the workforce who are interested in learning more about the synergies in skills and technologies between geothermal and O&G. Geothermal surface power facilities are the interface between subsurface resources and the electrical grid. From two-phase fluid handling to turbine selection and cooling system design, surface facilities determine the efficiency, reliability, and economic performance of a geothermal project. In this webinar, we will review the full chain of surface facility development — from fluid arrival at the wellhead to electricity export. The session will highlight real design trade-offs and lessons from field deployment, with special attention to the growing role of modular binary systems in distributed, low-enthalpy applications. The discussion will explore: The fundamental process flow for converting geothermal fluids into electricity Key differences among single-flash, double-flash, and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) binary systems Technology selection criteria: temperature, pressure, non-condensable gas (NCG) content, flow rate, and chemistry System optimization: how to maximize output and minimize scaling, downtime, and parasitic loads Use cases from low-enthalpy and retrofitted plants (United States, Japan, Italy, Philippines) and high-enthalpy flash systems (Kenya, Nicaragua) Speaker: Stefano Orlando, Head of Engineering at Steam S.r.l. Moderator: Luca Xodo, Chairperson of the European Technology & Innovation Platform on Geothermal (ETIP-Geothermal) and a Director at Steam S.r.l. Geothermal Energy from Oil and Gas Demonstrated Engineering (GEODE) is a consortium led by Project InnerSpace and SPE and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO).