Sedimentary basins offer an ideal target to push forward new technologies of direct heat use. The natural temperature, porosity and permeability of these sedimentary basins may be sufficient to provide usable geothermal power without the requirement of stimulation. A new technology has emerged in which natural hot water motions are targeted. This technology is particularly suited for direct use of heat from extremely deep sedimentary basins such as the Perth Basin (>10 km thick sedimentary sequences). The main opportunity offered by sedimentatry basins is that the drilling costs can be reduced substantially because heat, salinity and topography driven upwellings exist that provide natural transfer of heat to shallower levels. Through this effect geothermal power may in the future become more competitive even in areas with normal or only slightly elevated regional heat flow. The main challenges are that natural convective upwelling zones need to be accurately targeted. The second challenge is that new methods need to be devised to harness the use of low-grade heat; shallow geothermal sources may not reach the temperatures necessary for efficient electricity generation but are ideally suited for direct heat-driven applications, such as desalination, heating and cooling, and dehumidification technologies. We are presenting our methods for improved targeting in the Perth Basin and introduce two direct heat use technologies: geothermal air conditioning via sorption chillers and geothermal desalination. The technologies are not new in their basic principle. However, their engineering art has advanced significantly and their potential for incorporation into geothermal systems is a perfect match.
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