Sinopec’s Xianyang geothermal project goes live

The facility generates 700,000 kWh annually.

Sinopec Star Co., Ltd., a clean energy subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, has secured the access permit for its pilot geothermal power generation project in Shaanxi Province, allowing it to start supplying power to the grid.

The geothermal project is located in Xianyang in the Guanzhong region, where there is a large medium-low temperature sedimentary basin-type geothermal field. A geothermal well was selected in Baoshi Jiayuan community with a depth of 3,000 metres and wellhead water temperature of around 102 degrees Celsius.

During the heating season, the project extracts geothermal water for heating and simultaneous helium extraction for low-load power generation. In the non-heating season, it operates at full load for continuous power generation, also extracting helium.

The facility heats an area of 120,000 square metres and generates 700,000 kilowatt-hours annually.

Sinopec has over 100 million square metres of geothermal heating capacity in 72 cities across China. This includes the Xiong'an New Area project which was recognized by the International Renewable Energy Agency as a global showcase pilot.