News

The closing ceremony of the 33rd annual session of the UNU-GTP was held on October 14, 2011. Thirty Fellows from sixteen countries completed the six months training. The Fellows came from Bangladesh (2), China (3), Costa Rica (1), El Salvador (2), Honduras (1), Indonesia (2), Iran (1), Kenya (9), Mexico (1), Mongolia (1), Morocco (1), Nicaragua (1), Rwanda (1), Sri Lanka (1), Tanzania (2), and Uganda (1). They were trained in Reservoir Engineering (8), Geothermal Utilization (7), Environmental Studies (4), Geophysical  Exploration (4), Borehole Geology (3), Chemistry of Thermal Fluids (3), and Drilling Technology (1).

Wednesday the 12th of October the UNU-GTP was honored by the visit of a delegation from the China University of Geosciences in Beijing (CUGB) and Dr. Su Ge, Ambassador of China in Iceland.  The purpose of the visit was to establish ties between CUGB on one hand and the UNU-GTP, the University of Iceland, Iceland GeoSurvey and other Icelandic geothermal entities on the other.  A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Mr. Wang Hongbing, Chairman of the CUGB University Council, and Dr. Ingvar B. Fridleifsson, Director of the UNU-GTP on the willingness of the two sides to collaborate on geothermal research and training in the future.

UNU-GTP and LaGeo will be hosting a "Short Course on Geothermal Development and Geothermal Wells" in El Salvador March 11-17 2012. The course is tentatively planned as a one week course with lectures and exercises. Participation in the short course is by invitation only. It is mainly aimed at professionals from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean with diploma or a degree in earth sciences and engineering, who have been actively involved in geothermal development in their home country, or are potential candidates for that in the near future.  Click here for preliminary progamme and contact information. 

This year, the annual UNU Visiting Lecturer was Dr. Ernst Huenges, who leads the International Geothermal Research Centre at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ).  Dr. Huenges gave a series of lectures on Enhanced Geothermal Systems. Dr. Huenges is chair of an interdisciplinary working group with engineers and geoscientists and head of the petrophysical laboratories at the GFZ.  He has been involved in a number of scientific deep drilling projects and geothermal projects.  He is a contributing author of the IPCC special report on renewable energies and in 2010, he edited a book on Geothermal Energy Systems.

The UNU-GTP was honored by a visit from a high ranking delegation from the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) of Kenya over the period of July 13-18.  The delegation included the Board Chairman, six Directors and the Chief Manager of Energy Research and Development at GDC.  The purpose of the visit was to get a first hand overview of UNU-GTP operations and the utilization of geothermal resources in Iceland. On Thursday July 14, the delegation joined a UNU-GTP geological excursion in the Lake Mývatn area of northern Iceland, visiting sites shaped by ancient and recent volcanism, high-temperature geothermal fields, Krafla power station, and the Mývatn Nature Baths.  The following day was used to drive back to Reykjavik across the highlands of Iceland, with stops at the Hveravellir and Geysir high-temperature fields, Gullfoss and several other sites.  The weekend was used to visit several geothermal power plants in the Reykjanes peninsula and the Hengill area in the company of Mr. Ludvik S. Georgsson, Deputy Director of the UNU-GTP, Mr. Albert Albertsson, Deputy CEO of HS Orka, and Dr. Einar Gunnlaugsson, Manager of Geothermal Research at Reykjavik Energy, as well as visiting the Blue Lagoon.  The trip was concluded by meetings with Reykjavik Geothermal Inc., Landsvirkjun National Power Company, ÍSOR – Iceland GeoSurvey and VERKÍS Engineering Consultants on Monday morning, and a call to the UNU-GTP premises. The visit was arranged and organized by Dr. Peter Omenda, Chief Manager of Energy Research and Development at GDC, and Mr. Ludvik S. Georgsson.

The UNU-GTP and the UNU Media Centre have signed a MoA on a 10 min. documentary on geothermal training in Iceland. Luis Guillermo Patron Ibarra (Producer) and Ryo Murakami (Camera Man) spent 10 days in the end of June and beginning of July with the UNU-GTP gathering material for the documentary that will be published in October 2011.