OUR PARTNERS
HOCLOOP gathers leading research organizations with large experience in the development of materials and technologies, highly specialized high tech and R&D companies, and market-oriented industries with international experience in renewable energies and technological development. The consortium covers all the value chain through their technologies and expertise to guarantee the research, development and commercial activities targeted by the project.
Each partner has a clearly defined role within the project and will contribute with its specific knowledge and infrastructures to achieve the objectives proposed.
Institute for Energy Technology (IFE)
IFE is an independent, non-profit, private research organization founded in 1948 and is the key Norwegian actor specialized in energy issues. The Institute counts with about 600 employees and has an annual turnover around 100 M€. IFE undertakes research on an ideal basis for the benefit of society and develops climate friendly energy systems and solutions that contribute decoupling economic growth and welfare from CO2 emissions. IFE conducts leading research at both national and international level and has been involved in more than 300 international projects in the fields of: geothermal energy, renewable energy, bioeconomy, environmental technology, physics and materials science, marine technology, nuclear technology, development of radiopharmaceuticals, safety and reliability, digitalization and man-machine systems. IFE is involved in more than 35, European projects (7 of them, as Coordinators) and hosts two of Research Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME).
- Carlos Escudero. Carlos.escudero@ife.no
- Mario Silva. Mario.silva@ife.no
University of Vaasa
The University of Vaasa (Uwasa) is a business-oriented, multidisciplinary, and international university. Our core competence consists of high-level business, technology, management, and communications expertise. Our strong basic research and interdisciplinary research platforms solve major global challenges and create a more responsible future. We consider it our important task to influence the reform of the energy sector and combat climate change. Our research serves the most extensive energy and environmental technology knowledge hub in the Nordic countries. Uwasa has a core faculty of 325, and our annual operating costs are approximately EUR 50 million. There are 5,393 students at our university, of whom 190 are international students and 296 PhD students. The university hosts one of the largest university level, internationally accredited business schools in Finland.
- Jouni K Juntunen Jouni.juntunen@uwasa.fi
Reelwell A.S.
Reelwell focus on developing improved drilling and well technology solutions to meet the future energy challenges, especially focusing on: i) Provide an open-access, high speed telemetry and power network for drill strings and completions and ii) Provide dual string technology for challenging drilling and well applications.
Since 2004, Reelwell has built a foundation of technology innovation and continuous improvement, challenging traditional industry methods and enabling our customers to drill beyond boundaries.
Our Norwegian heritage and the growing importance within the industry to evolve and adopt best practices drives us to continue supporting carbon efficient energy production to meet global demands. It is our ambition to develop and deploy our proprietary technologies to deliver efficiencies that enable our customers to operate in a compliant and environmentally conscious manner. Use of Reelwell technologies will enable our customers to construct wells more efficiently: reducing the CO2 footprint of operations compared to traditional industry methods.
- Einar Christensen (legal and financial): ola@reelwell.com
- Ola Vestavik (technical): einar@reelwell.com
Research, science and innovation (NORCE)
NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS is an independent research institute that conducts research for both public and private sectors. We deliver research and innovation in energy, health care, climate and environmental, society and technology. NORCE is leading work package 6, which includes planning and execution of the full-scale test-operation. Ullrigg Test Centre, owned by NORCE, will be utilized for the test-operation. Ullrigg Test Center, UTC, is a full-scale test and piloting center for technology, system, methods, and solutions covering everything in drilling and well activities. UTC consists of a full-scale offshore type drilling rig, 8 different well configurations, specially developed test halls, and test rigs adapted to current industry requirements for commercial use.
- Steinar Lomeland (Manager, Ullrig Test Centre) stlo@norceresearch.no
- Per Simensen (Senior Project Manager, Ullrigg Test Centre) pesi@norceresearch.no
Technical University of Darmstadt
TUD contributes to HOCLOOP project specifically within Work Package 4 (WP4) as a participant. TUD is involved in several tasks within WP4, such as participating in pilot site data collection and integration analysis (Task 4.1), underground simulations of the HOCLOOP concept at selected pilot sites (Task 4.2), and contributing to the conceptual design and techno-economic feasibility study (Task 4.3). Moreover, TUD helps prepare pilot site documentation for future implementation and demonstration of the HOCLOOP concept (Task 4.4) and identifies key parameters for forward replicability of the HOCLOOP concept at other locations (Task 4.5). Furthermore, TUD has a lead role in Task 3.4 of WP3 for calibrating the modeling tools developed in Task 3.2 for different working fluids.
Throughout these tasks, TUD assists in gathering and processing data about the underground characteristics and above-ground energy systems at selected pilot sites, selecting optimal geological conditions for the HOCLOOP concept, simulating heat extraction potential over time, and developing conceptual designs for integrating the HOCLOOP concept into local energy systems. Additionally, TUD contributes to techno-economic pre-feasibility studies and prepares documentation for future implementation of HOCLOOP. By collaborating with other partners in the consortium, TUD plays a vital role in ensuring the successful development and implementation of the HOCLOOP project.
- Dr. Mrityunjay Singh: mrityunjay.singh@tu-darmstadt.de
Flemish Institute for Technological Research NV (VITO)
As independent and customer-oriented research organization, VITO provides innovative technological solutions as well as scientifically based advice and support to stimulate sustainable development and reinforce the economic and social fabric of Flanders. Since 1998 VITO is actively involved in the development of geothermal. VITO has a strong expertise in exploration, resource characterization and modeling of fluid flow and heat transfer in the subsurface. Over the last decade, VITO built his own geothermal plant at the Balmatt industrial site in Mol (Belgium). The plant is connected to a local heating network and serves as test site for geothermal applications. VITO also has a strong expertise on demand-and-supply matching, heat exchange and heat-to-power technologies.
Within HOCLOOP VITO is leading the activities on the design of the well completion to enhance the performance of the heat transfer surface. VITO is lead partner of WP4. The aim of WP4 is to pave the way for demonstration projects and to assess the forward portability of the HOCLOOP-solution. It includes simulation, pre-feasibility, and pre-design of the HOCLOOP concept at potential pilot sites. Balmatt is one of the sites that will serve as a case study.
- Virginie Harcouët-Menou, virginie.harcouet-menou@vito.be
IFP Energies Nouvelles
IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) is a major research and training player in the fields of energy, transport and the environment. As part of the public-interest mission with which it has been tasked by the public authorities, IFPEN focuses its efforts on bringing solutions to the challenges facing society and industry in terms of energy and the climate, to support the ecological transition.
Since 2018, IFPEN has been listening to geothermal professionals and putting its tools and skills at their service to provide them with operational solutions. These issues, whether at an exploration or exploitation stage, require an understanding of the entire geothermal loop, from the surface to the subsurface, via the wells and including the properties of the fluids produced. The areas covered are: (i) The evolution of reservoir properties during production and the impact of this evolution on the operation (loss of injectivity in silici-clastic reservoirs, scaling and fouling, corrosion…); (ii) The basin-scale exploration for the evaluation of the potential for heat and lithium, as well as reservoir simulation for the evaluation of the evolution of production with time; (iii) The optimisation of the whole geothermal loop (for full NCG reinjection, heat recovery from O&G wells…).
For the HOCLOOP project, IFPEN will work on coupling its reservoir, well and surface installation modelling tools to work on the portability of the close loop solution in the Paris basin. The modelling will aim at optimizing the full geothermal loop design including well depth and geometry, heat transfer fluid, pressure and fluid flow…, taking into account the possibility of a seasonal or natural heat recharge thanks to the aquifer natural flow.
- Christine Souque (Christine.souque@ifpen.fr)
University of Florence
The University of Florence is a large higher education and research institution with over 50000 students at BS, MS and PhD level and a considerable research activity (international, national and regional level; innovation transfer to industry). The University of Florence is organized in 24 Departments. The Industrial Engineering Department (DIEF; www.dief.unifi.it) is one of the largest in terms of research and teaching activities, with about 60 staff members and over 200 temporary researchers (PhDs, PostDocs) DIEF yearly turnover is in the 8 – 9 M€/, about 70% from competitive calls @ EU, national & regional level. The rest from tech transfer (industry)
Within DIEF, several research groups are active. SERG (Sustainable Energy Research Group ) is the one committed to HOCLOOP Project. The group includes two professors, three senior researchers and four PhD students. The group is active since more than 15 years so far in Optimization of energy systems, Renewable energies, Zero emissions geothermal and hybridization, Sustainable energy system design, Advanced Exergy analysis, Innovative turbomachinery components (micro expanders), Energy harvesting. Main achievements: 350 + research papers, 10+ European Projects, 20+ National Projects, 20+ Industrial partners, 2 patents, 10+ awards, proven experience in sustainable geothermal energy projects, (partner and responsibility in recent H2020 GECO, GEOENVI, LEAP-RE).
Within HOCLOOP, SERG is committed to the coordination of WP3, mainly based on modelling and Experimental activity at Lab scale of alternative fluids characterization and WP7, dealing with the Sustainability assessment (Exergy, LCA, Exergo-environmental and exergo-economic analyses) of the proposed solutions.
In the framework of WP3, SERG is currently committed to design and commissioning of Lab-scale test rig (CO2 Hub ) for measurements of the CO2 heat transfer and circulation behavior within a downscaled geothermal test section.
- Prof. Daniele Fiaschi – Local Coordinator daniale.fiaschi@unifi.it
- Ing. Pietro Ungar – Main Researcher pietro.ungar@unifi.it
- Ing. Lorenzo Talluri, PhD – Senior researcher, vice local coordinator lorenzo.talluri@unifi.it
University of Bari
Founded in 1925, the University of Bari (UNIBA), is one of the most prestigious universities in Southern Italy. With a student population of around 60,000. UNIBA was founded in 1925 and it is a state-supported university which is divided into 12 faculties. Each faculty has its own set of departments that focus on the arts, sciences, mathematics, social sciences, literature, medicine, law, and education.
The UNIBA team allocated to the HOCLOOP project will deal at:
(i) fluid configuration of CO2 smart fluids and CO2 with Ionic liquids characterization; keeping in mind that pressure reduces CO2 viscosity, improving operability, UNIBA will measure CO2 viscosity at different pressure values up to the supercritical conditions and, furthermore, will evaluate the contribution of ionic liquids as an enhancer of CO2 thermal conductivity.
(ii) feasibility study of the HCOLOOP concept in different geological conditions and district heating, representative of those occurring in the European country. Geometry, fracture distribution, stress field, thermal conditions with/without natural reservoirs will be measured and evaluated in three different geological contexts, characterized by low, intermediate and geothermal gradients.
The results will have fallouts in modeling and experimental activities in the use of alternative fluids as heat transfer and working fluids.
- Domenico Liotta: domenico.liotta@uniba.it
