OrkaShield

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Project duration: 1.11.2025 - 31.10.2028

Total costs: 1598630 €

TRL at start stage: TRL 5 - technology validated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)

TRL at final stage: TRL 6 - technology demonstrated in relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)

Description: Project OrkaShield: Protective and Innovative Technology for Geothermal Wells will demonstrate its novel qualities by field testing in relevant environment and push its TRL higher. The presented technology has several strategic and commercial long-term objectives such as boost energy independence of Europe by utilizing effectively renewable energy, also in previously non-viable regions, and commercial competitiveness of Europe by offering new product. OrkaShield will allow importing fewer fossil fuels, eliminating the environmental burden of transport, import tax, or mining fuel for nuclear powerplants. Iceland represents an ideal location and conditions to demonstrate durability of OrkaShield and therefore applicability for many European countries. OrkaShield contributes towards the implementation of the European Green Deal. OrkaShield is relevant to the call objectives through innovation and optimization how geothermal energy is harvested and integrated in Europe's future energy system for heating/cooling and power generation with zero emission. This technology allows: 1) significant cost reduction; 2) increase in competitive market opportunities; 3) increase in environmental protection; and 4) better tools and methodologies to tackles society´s increasing energy consumption in a sustainable manner.

Relevance: The OrkaShield project will give novel solution for existing geothermal markets and unlocks new where technology was the limitation. The goal of OrkaShield technology is to reduce maintenance, lower operating costs, and more dependable energy output per geothermal well for the geothermal industry. This innovation contributes to push for transition towards clean energy solution and reduces dependency on energy from fossil fuels.

Objectives: The main objective of the OrkaShield project, OrkaShield: Protective and Innovative Technology for Geothermal Wells, is to contribute towards energy independence of Europe by utilizing effectively renewable energy, also in previously non-viable regions, and commercial competitiveness of Europe by offering new technology. OrkaShield is developing technology to meet demand of corrosion resistant, heat resistant and anti-scaling solution for geothermal wells and energy savings. In general, making geothermal utilization easier and less vulnerable to specific reservoir chemistry. Only 0.5% of electricity is currently produced from geothermal energy in the European Union countries compared to other renewable energy sources. Currently, usage of geothermal fields with low to medium temperatures are limited for electricity production due to their inefficient performance. The amount of energy extracted per well can be enhanced by using the OrkaShield product for the geothermal wells.

Challenges addressed and approach defined to go beyond state of the art: The most commonly used geothermal well pipe material is carbon steel casing being an economical choice in many cases, but due to corrosive environment many wells experience a casing failure. Two types of novel protective materials will be developed in the OrkaShield project with heat insulating properties and corrosion resistance. The Orkashield materials serve to prevent corrosion and minimize scaling adherence, minimize heat loss and are selected based on local geochemistry. This allows to avoid expensive maintenance and secure long-term flow assurance. At the same time, our solution aims to prioritize materials with a low amount of critical raw materials. The OrkaShield technology allows design variant with corrosion and heat resistant materials to serve in extreme conditions, such as superhot geothermal wells that can extract about 10x more energy than conventional wells. The geothermal well technology, OrkaShield, innovates and optimizes how geothermal energy is harvested and integrated in Europe’s future energy system.

Results and impact expected: The main goal of the OrkaShield project, a continuation of Eurostars project ProCase (no. E115090) and EEA and Norway grants project Orkaduct (no. 2024/393366) where components were tested in relevant environment (TRL4-5), is to build a prototype and demonstrate technology in relevant environment (at least TRL6), in a geothermal field in Iceland. Gerosion first developed together with partners a novel well technology for high-temperature geothermal fields but with a few modifications its full advantages can be unlocked for low- to medium-temperature geothermal fields as well. OrkaShield’s innovation and its expected impact is.: 1) significant cost reduction; 2) significant increase in competitive market opportunities; 3) significant increase in environmental proception and reduction of risks associated with the development or operation of a geothermal installation, and 4) better tools and methodologies for geothermal sector.

Acknowledgment: This research was funded by CETPartnership, the Clean Energy Transition Partnership under the 2024 joint call for research proposals, co-funded by the European Commission (GA N°101069750) and with the funding organizations detailed on https://cetpartnership.eu/funding-agencies-and-call-modules.ProjectOrkaShield: Protective and Innovative Technology for Geothermal Wells is registered with proposal ID CETP-FP-2024-00318 and the Rannis Project No. 250009-500,  UEFISCDI (Romania) Project No. 144/2025 Project Code: COFUND-OrkaShield.  

Contact: Dr. Jan Prikryl (jan@gerosion.com)

Consortium: Gerosion (IS) Sintef (NO) Ophiolite (NO) Rockpore (NO) ICPE-CA (RO)