A geothermal project described as a huge underground radiator is proving its technology.

Eavor Technologies Inc. completed drilling a pair of 2.4-kilometre deep wells connected by a pair of underground pipelines for its closed-loop geothermal system last September.

Now being tested, the $10-million demonstration project east of Rocky Mountain House circulates liquids through kilometres of underground well bores, picking up heat before returning to the surface.

The heated liquid can then be used for heating or to create power using heat-to-energy technology.

Eavor president and CEO John Redfern said testing carried out while the wells were drilled and connected went well, and now work is underway to test and demonstrate the technology’s thermosiphon effect.

The thermosiphon effect is a natural process that sees warmer liquids rise as colder, denser liquids are introduced.

That creates a continuous circulation of a benign liquid with high heat-retention properties without the need for pumping. A small pump is needed only to get the circulation started and then it continues on its own.

“From what I understand, everything is within two per cent of predicted in the (geothermal) model as we put it though its paces,” said Redfern.

“It’s a lot of fun to go out there and feel the heat radiating out of the pipe as the fluid moves around without any pump pushing it.”

Redfern said there has been lots of interest in the technology, including the Alberta government, which has invested $2 million. Another $13 million has been raised through other investors, including companies such as Precision Drilling and Shell New Energies.

“Even during the drilling phase, we had 14 different groups from 11 different countries come through and tour the construction phase of it,” he said. “Obviously, there’s going to be more people coming through.

“We’ve been marketing it for a year up to this point.”

Redfern said the first commercial project is expected to be built in Bavaria.

“We’ve got a deal there to take over a traditional failed geothermal (system).”

Eavor’s technology allows it to create a system using holes drilled by other geothermal companies that did not meet their technical needs.

“It’s almost as if you had a technology that if anyone ever drilled a dry hole in the oilpatch, you come in and say, ‘I can make that work,’” he said.

”That’s sort of what we have on the geothermal side.”

Eavor is already going through the application process in Germany, which is phasing out its coal power. Japan, Italy, France, Netherlands, the Caribbean, the U.S. and Canada have also shown interest.

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pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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It was cold during last week’s deep freeze in central Alberta, but not cold enough to take the mountain pine beetle out completely.

It would’ve had an impact on the pests, enough to set them back, said an Olds College horticulture instructor Ken Fry.

This means the cold killed off some beetles, but it didn’t eradicate them.

Before European settlers, there weren’t that many beetles to kill, and therefore, there weren’t that many beetles to rebound. But in the last, say, 150 years ago, the populations have been building and they’re “quite substantial,” Fry said Thursday.

“So say we have a cold spell, like the one we just had, and it lasts a week and it kills 98 per cent of the beetles, hypothetically speaking.

“If you have a million beetles, that’s still a lot of beetles left over. So you would have to kill 99.999 per cent. So the more animals that are there, the more severe the corrective measure has to be,” he said.

For elimination of the pests, the cold snap would have to be longer – a prolonged one of -30 C to -40 C to kill the high populations in the province.

“You would have to kill virtually all of them, because even if a few survive, they’re going to lay 100s eggs each. Not all those eggs are going to hatch, and reach adulthood, but you get the sense of scale we’re dealing with.”

Not only would the cold have to be severe for longer, but also timely to eradicate them.

The mountain pine beetle is particularly well prepared for winter, like many insects. The pest takes protective measures and produces sugars, alcohols and glycols, compounds that bind to water like anti-freeze. These compounds prevent water from forming ice crystals (similar to freezer burn), which protects the insects’ cells.

In the dead of winter, they have maximum production of these protective compounds.

“If we had a cold snap, the one we saw a week ago, if that happened in late October or in early March, it would have a much more devastating effect,” he explained.

Cold snaps have an impact on pests, such as aphids, but also on insects that are beneficial to the ecosystem, such as bees and wasps.

“That’s why it’s so unfortunate. When we think of pests, that’s only one per cent of species out there. Ninety-nine per cent of insects out there are beneficial, whether those are pollinators, predators, decomposers,” he said.

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mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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Brace yourself.

Environment Canada expects periods of snow, mixed with freezing rain, Wednesday for Red Deer.

Red Deerians can expect periods of snow ending late in the afternoon with cloudy conditions.

About two to four centimetres of snow is expected, with winds about 20 km/h, gusting to 40 km/h in the morning.

The temperature will be around zero, with a windchill of -9 C.

Wednesday night will be clear with a low of -12 C. The wind chill will reach -9 C in the evening and -16 C overnight.

Sunny conditions return Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Environment Canada states.

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mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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An extreme cold warning remains in effective for central Alberta, and some rural school buses will not operate Friday.

Environment Canada says in Red Deer the wind chill will reach -42 C with northwest winds of 20 km/h gusting to 40 km/h. The forecasted high is -26 C.

Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures, or wind chill, creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.

People should watch for cold-related symptoms that include shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes. Frost bite can occur in minutes.

If it’s too cold for humans to stay outside, it’s too cold for pets to be outside.

School bus cancellations include Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools buses serving Rocky Mountain House. Affected routes numbers are S-56, S-57 & S-58. Schools affected are St. Matthew Catholic School and St Dominic Catholic High School, but the schools are open.

All Wild Rose School Division buses will not run, but schools are open.

All buses for Clearview Public Schools are not running, but schools are expected to be open. If schools are not operating, the superintendent or an official will make an announcement.

For information on Wolf Creek Public Schools and Chinook’s Edge School Division, check with those school jurisdictions.

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An extreme cold warning remains in effective for central Alberta, and rural school buses will not operate Thursday.

Environment Canada says in Red Deer the wind chill will dip to -41 C in the morning, rising to -34 C in the afternoon. The forecasted high is -26 C.

Snow will end in the morning, then remain cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of flurries.

Extreme cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures, or wind chill, creates an elevated risk to health such as frost bite and hypothermia.

People should watch for cold-related symptoms that include shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes. Frost bite can occur in minutes.

If it’s too cold for humans to stay outside, it’s too cold for pets to be outside.

School bus cancellations include all Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools operating in Red Deer County for its schools in Blackfalds, Sylvan Lake, Olds, Innisfail and Rocky Mountain House. However, those schools will remain open on Thursday.

All buses for Wolf Creek Public Schools are cancelled and schools remain closed to all students.

Buses will not run for Chinook’s Edge School Division, but schools are open and classes are being held.

Wild Rose School Division buses will not run, but schools are open.

Buses for Clearview Public Schools are not running, but schools are expected to be open. If schools are not operating, the superintendent or an official will make an announcement.

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Central Albertans shouldn’t expect any respite from the extreme weather.

The low for Red Deer Wednesday night was expected to be -38 C, with the temperature rising to -32 by Thursday morning.

Red Deer woke to a temperature of -43 C on Wednesday and it remains one of the coldest places on Earth.

Rural school jurisdictions in central Alberta will kept their school buses off the road, although most schools are operating.

Red Deer continues to make an online extreme weather list.

Extreme cold conditions are expected to last through the week, which puts everyone at risk.

People should watch for cold-related symptoms that include shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes.

If it’s too cold for humans to stay outside, it’s too cold for pets to be outside.

Extreme cold across the province has resulted in six times the usual volume of calls to the Alberta Motor Association, which has received more than 30,700 roadside assistance requests since Sunday.

“People’s safety is our top priority,” says Brandon Klassen, a manager with AMA Automotive Services.

“We’re prioritizing calls to ensure people in emergency situations receive help as quickly as possible and thank Albertans for their understanding as we work around the clock to reach those in need. It’s absolutely all hands on deck over here.”

Related:

Red Deer one of coldest places on planet Tuesday morning

Canadian craft creature comforts for animals affected by Australian wildfires

School bus cancellations included all Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools operating in Red Deer County for its schools in Blackfalds, Sylvan Lake, Olds, Innisfail and Rocky Mountain House. However, those schools remained open Wednesday.

All buses for Wolf Creek Public Schools were cancelled and schools were closed. High schools remained open only for students writing diploma exams.

Buses did not run for Chinook’s Edge School Division, but schools were open and classes were being held.

Wild Rose School Division buses did not run, but schools were open for those students able to be transported safely on their own.

Buses for Clearview Public Schools were not running, but schools were expected to be open. If schools are not operating, the superintendent or an official will make an announcement.

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