Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Quantification with Geothermal Energy Replacing Alberta's Fossil Fuels

Abstract

The project quantifies Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions changes in Alberta, with the current energy production switch to geothermal energy production. The emissions from Alberta's 702 large GHG emitting facilities in 2020 were 143Mt CO2 eq, ~52% of the total emissions from 1704 large facilities in Canada. 71Mt CO2 eq, or ~50% of the emissions from all large GHG emitting facilities in Alberta, came from 34 oil sands extraction facilities. Considering the total bitumen production levels from oil sands facilities in 2020 and 2021 and the projected numbers for 2022, 2023, and 2031, the EGS-produced geothermal heat would help to reduce GHG emissions from 22.1 Mt CO2 eq (equivalent to ~4.8 M gasoline-powered passenger vehicles off the road) in 2020 to 30.5 Mt CO2 eq (equivalent to ~6.6 M gasolinepowered passenger vehicles off the road) in 2031, reducing the GHG emissions from Alberta's oil sands extraction facilities by over 30%.