(GP/GT) for Additional Water Supply in the Lower Rio Grande

DESALINATION/AGRICULTURE/AQUACULTURE ECONOMIC RESULTS
The study included one more analysis, a geothermal turbine unit was
installed with desalination and an agriculture/aquaculture facility, taking
advantage of the cascading energy values. Results suggest that this scenario
becomes profitable only where the market price for electricity exceeds 5
cents/kWH. Currently, many areas of the country that have geopressured
resources also have a surplus electrical capacity and generation, thus power
utilities have been offering less than 2 cents per kWH, well below the
reasonable breakeven value of 5 cents per KWH. However, when the energy
demand of the integrated facility is large enough to install power generation
equipment, savings will be obtained by not having to paying the 10 to 12 cents
per kWH utility rate.
This study indicates that employment of other direct use technologies,
specifically desalinated water production, can contribute significantly to the
value added process and the overall economic viability in developing a
geopressured resource. Additionally, although agriculture and aquaculture
applications are marginal projects when they are the only application with a
geopressure well, the small margin of profitability can contribute to
improving the overall economics of additional direct use developments. The
added complexity will have to be balanced with the increased technical and
management complexity and may add to the overall risk and unpredictability of
the project.
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