The U.S. Energy Department announced Thursday that the department will put up $3.6 million for four to six projects to focus on early-stage R&D applications in machine learning to develop technology improvements in the exploration and operations of geothermal resources.
According to the announcement, machine learning offers substantial opportunities for technology advancement and cost reductions throughout the geothermal project lifecycle, from resource exploration to power plant operations.
Through this funding, the department of energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) will fund projects to support new analytical tools for finding and developing geothermal resources.
The department 'will establish the practice of machine learning in the geothermal industry, and maximize the value of the rich datasets utilized in the geosciences,' the statement said.
The GTO seeks projects that advance geothermal exploration through the application of machine learning techniques in boreholes, and other relevant datasets.
In addition, the office seeks projects that apply advanced analytics to power plants and other operator datasets, with the goal of improving operations and resource management.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr