Imperial Valley Geothermal Project is a complex of eleven geothermal power stations located in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, along the southeastern shore of the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley of California. It is the second largest geothermal field in the United States after The Geysers in Northern California.
Description
Parts of Imperial Valley lie atop the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, a region of high geothermal energy with an estimated 2,950 MW of geothermal potential. Of that total, 2,250 MW are currently developable, while the remaining 700 MW would become available as the Salton Sea (a saline lake) dries up. About 403 MW is generated by the existing power plants, ten of which are owned by BHE Renewables and one by EnergySource. Geothermal power and lithium extraction
The geothermal activity below the Salton Sea loosens up lithium that can be mined. The California Energy Commission estimates the Salton Sea might produce 600k metric tons of lithium carbonate () per year,Alistair MacDonald and Jim Carlton. (February 8, 2022). "Where Is There More Lithium to Power Cars and Phones? Beneath a California Lake.". Wall Street Journal Retrieved February 9, 2022. of a reserve of 3.4 million tonnes.
In 2016, the Australian firm Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) announced plans to build a 140 MW geothermal power plant and a lithium extraction facility capable of producing 15,000 tons (13,600 tonnes) by 2023 and 75,000 tons (68,000 tonnes) by 2027. The company hopes to create a major new domestic source of the mineral, which is a key ingredient used in batteries for electric cars and energy storage. The project is expected to be operational by 2023. General Motors announced a strategic partnership with CTR in 2021 to secure a local supply of lithium. The majority of the battery-grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate for the Ultium battery will come from this plant.
Geothermal power stations This is a table of all constituent geothermal power stations.
Name Units Type Status Capacity(MW) Owner Commissioned A.W. Hoch 1 Dry steam 45.5 BHE Renewables 1989 CE Turbo 1 Dry steam 11.5 BHE Renewables 2000 Hell's Kitchen ? Dry steam 140 CT Resources (2025) J.J. Elmore 1 Dry steam 45.5 BHE Renewables 1989 J.L. Featherstone 1 Dry steam 55 EnergySource J.M. Leathers 1 Dry steam 45.5 BHE Renewables 1990 Salton Sea 1 1 Dry steam 10 BHE Renewables 1982 Salton Sea 2 3 Dry steam 20 BHE Renewables 1990 Salton Sea 3 1 Dry steam 54 BHE Renewables 1989 Salton Sea 4 1 Dry steam 47.5 BHE Renewables 1996 Salton Sea 5 1 Dry steam 58.3 BHE Renewables 2000 Vulcan 2 Dry steam 39.6 BHE Renewables 1985 J.G. McIntosh 1 Closed loop 18.5 GeoGenCo —
See also
List of geothermal power stations in the United States List of power stations in California
References