Article Adapted from Dec 6, 2024 Capstone Projects showcase diversity in students’ areas of focus in Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development.
The SEDV program resides at the School of Public Policy, where students benefit from interdisciplinary scholarship and the expertise of faculty members from across the University of Calgary. The Haskayne School of Business, Schulich School of Engineering, School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape, Faculty of Science, and Faculty of Law come together to offer a holistic approach to sustainable energy education. This collaborative master’s degree is the realization of bold thinking to energize change.
Annually, the School of Public Policy showcases the exceptional work of each graduating class to academia, industry, government, and community. Many students in the SEDV program work with industry and professional partners for their capstone projects.
Leanne Komaromi
Techno-Economic Feasibility Study for a Deep Geothermal System at YYC Calgary International Airport
Deep below the runways and terminal buildings at YYC Calgary International Airport is a potential energy source that Komaromi wanted to evaluate for its potential to make the operations at one of Canada’s busiest airports more environmentally sustainable.
For her capstone project, Techno-Economic Feasibility Study for a Deep Geothermal System at The Calgary International Airport, she leveraged both her background in geology and an environmental co-op student placement at Calgary Airport Authority. Specifically, Komaromi took on a techno-economic feasibility study on the viability of a deep geothermal system for the airport to support net-zero targets.
“The project appealed to me because it forms part of the organization's decarbonization roadmap and had potential for tangible impact in decision-making,” said Komaromi, who earned an undergraduate degree in geology at UCalgary. “Geothermal development in Alberta is also still very much in its infancy so research in this area has a bit of that gold rush or oil boom feel. It's all very exciting.”
When most people think of Alberta and its energy resources buried deep underground, it tends to be oil and natural gas deposits. But abundant geothermal resources have the potential to help address energy demand and support the transition to lower carbon energy supply.
Working with her academic advisor and colleagues at the airport, Komaromi’s research focused on comparing a geothermal scenario to the modelled business-as-usual forecast, and demonstrated a positive impact on overall energy use, emissions, and energy costs.
In her work, she applied GEOPHIRES-X software from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to simulate reservoir, wellbore, and surface plant performance to estimate energy production and cost for a closed-loop geothermal system (CLGS) for direct-use heating. Results indicate it is both technically and economically feasible.
“Geothermal technology is advancing quickly, and this is making implementation in these less conventional areas much more feasible,” she said. “This project opened my eyes to the huge potential of geothermal development in Alberta and the exciting technology advancement taking place. There is a growing chorus of geothermal advocates in Alberta and Canada that I am now a part of.”
Komaromi intends to continue to refine her research findings and apply the learnings from her SEDV master's to contribute to Calgary’s pathway to net-zero and to advocate for geothermal in Alberta's energy transition. Her focus is to support the government policy, research, and demonstrations needed to realize its potential, and she sees huge potential for geothermal development in northern and western Alberta, traditionally oil and gas country.
Komaromi’s research for her capstone project has convinced her of the opportunities with geothermal energy and in a province renowned for extracting subsurface resources. Things are looking up for another energy source deep underground.