The world's first hybrid power plant starts generating electricity

On December 6, the world's first hybrid power plant that generates electricity by hybrid geothermal and hydroelectric power began generating electricity
.
The hybrid power plant, known as the "Cove Fort Power Station," is located in southwestern
Utah, USA.
The area, headed by the globally renowned "Zion National Park", is known for
its magnificent landscapes.
The Cove Fort power station has been generating electricity
from geothermal heat since 2013.

Enel Green Power, which operates power plants, operates power generation facilities from renewable energy around the world, including Europe, North America, and South America
, mainly in Italy.
Since the United States is implementing four renewable energy sources, including hydropower, geothermal, wind power, and photovoltaics, it is also committed to promoting the practical application of hybrid power generation technology with multiple renewable energy combinations, which has promoted the company's operation of this model of power station
in the United States.

The Cove Fort power station uses steam and hot water drawn from the ground to generate electricity
in a binary way (by using a medium method of evaporation at a low temperature).
The hot water generated by the use is then returned to the ground, deep into the surface, and flowing into the excavated well, where steam is generated again
.

Before the start of construction, the hybrid power plant was tested in July and September, and generated 1 million kWh of electricity
through hydropower.
This amount of electricity is equivalent to 9%
of the energy consumed inside the power station.
And by improving the energy efficiency of power stations, the amount of electricity sent out can be further increased
.

The Cove Fort power station harnesses geothermal heat and provides about 25MW of electricity
.
The annual power generation reaches 160 million kWh, which can be used by 13,000 households if the average household usage in the United States is 12,000 kWh per year
.
The latest addition of hydroelectric power can provide the same amount of electricity during the test period, and the power generation is expected to increase by about
2%.

In addition, by installing a hydroelectric power station in the circulating well, it is possible to control the flow of hot water back into the ground
.
Because the hot water drawn from the ground contains salt, when it naturally returns to the well, it may fly away and damage the equipment
.
Controlling the flow of hot water through a hydroelectric generator reduces the risk of
equipment damage.

Enel Green Power, which is committed to the development of hybrid technology, has geothermal power plants in other parts of the United States, and even conducts triple power generation with a combination of solar thermal and solar light, such as the Stillwater power station
in Nevada.

The geothermal power plant has been in operation since 2009 and supplies 33MW of electricity
in binary form.
In 2012, a 26MW photovoltaic power station was installed on the land around the power
station.
In addition, in 2015, a 2MW power generation plant was started using solar heat to achieve triple power generation
through three renewable energy sources.

Solar and solar thermal power generation is less efficient than geothermal alone, but the amount of electricity generated by solar light and solar heat can supplement the reduction in geothermal power generation
.

The United States has many volcanic areas, and the geothermal resources and power generation are the first
in the world.
Enel Green Power will promote hybrid technology projects for renewable energy
, mainly geothermal power generation.