Techno-energy-economic feasibility assessment of hybrid, deep geothermal plants for sustainable, reliable power generation in cold environments

Due to increasing global energy demand and environmental concerns, reliable, sustainable, and renewable energy systems are increasingly needed, particularly for remote cold-region communities dependent on fossil-fuel-based electricity generation. This research presents a techno-energy-economic feasibility assessment of a hybrid, deep geothermal plant (HDGP) integrating a single-stage binary-cycle geothermal system with wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, battery storage medium, and a backup diesel generator to provide reliable baseload electrical power in cold environments. Fort Liard, located in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is selected as the case study due to its favourable geothermal potential but with a heavy dependence on diesel-based electricity generation. The research introduces an innovative HOMER™-based geothermal modelling approach in which geo-fluid is treated as an equivalent fuel source for system optimization and long-term performance evaluation. Actual climate and geological information, operational data, market-based costs, and load profiles are utilized for the techno-energy-economic analysis. The results indicate that the optimized HDGP can sustainably supply the community’s electrical demand for 30+ years while reducing geothermal operating intensity through renewable load sharing. The optimal wind and solar capacities provide ∼50% of the annual electricity demand, extending the estimated geothermal operational lifecycle from 30 to ∼43 years. The levelized cost of electricity for the HDGP is estimated at ∼0.27 CAD$/kWh, ∼2.6 times lower than the existing diesel-based electricity cost of ∼0.70 CAD$/kWh. The economic analysis illustrates an internal rate of return of ∼10.7% and a payback duration of ∼13 years. This feasibility assessment can be applied to other cold environments worldwide with similar geological and social attributes. The research also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015, defined to reach the world’s 2030 climate targets.