Sinopec Star Co., Ltd., a clean energy subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, has received the grid access permit for its medium and deep geothermal power generation pilot project (the "Project") in Xianyang, Shaanxi province, which is officially connected to the grid to produce power.
The Project, which is now connected to the grid and generating power, marks Sinopec's first foray into geothermal electricity production and represents China's inaugural pilot of thermoelectric helium integration—a significant stride toward enhancing the utilization of geothermal resources and optimizing the nation's energy mix.
Located in Xianyang in the Guanzhong region, where there is a large medium-low temperature sedimentary basin-type geothermal field known for large scale, high temperature, and superior water quality, the project has selected a geothermal well in Baoshi Jiayuan community with a depth of 3,000 meters 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 meters and generates 700,000 kWh annually.
Sinopec Star has tackled the core technologies to extract the "golden gas" – helium - in geothermal wells, which is of great strategic importance and widely applied in numerous fields, including aerospace, R&D, healthcare, and industrial productions. As a major manufacturing country, China has a high demand for helium, but has long relied heavily on imports. Helium is mainly extracted from natural gas, coal bed methane, and by-products of air separation units that contain helium.
Located in the Weihe Basin, the project area is rich in water-soluble and free helium, along with other gas resources. Sinopec's experts have discovered unusually high helium concentrations in the region's geothermal wells. At its Xianyang site, Sinopec Star has advanced the separation and purification of water-soluble helium, achieving 99.99% pure helium through membrane separation and variable pressure adsorption technologies. This success has provided insights for the industrial-scale production of geothermal water-soluble helium.
Sinopec is a leader in advancing geothermal development, having established more than 100 million square meters of geothermal heating capacity in 72 cities throughout China. Its project in the Xiong'an New Area has been recognized by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as a global showcase pilot.
