Enefit Outotec Technology (EOT), a joint venture of Eesti Energia and an engineering company Outotec, signed a cooperation agreement with the energy group San Leon Energy Plc (San Leon) for the preliminary analysis of the Tarfaya oil shale deposit owned by the latter in Morocco. One of the goals of the cooperation agreement is to assess the suitability of Enefit technology for the oil shale of the Tarfaya deposit.
The signed cooperation agreement comprises the conducting of analyses and pilot tests as well as plant design services by EOT. In the later stages of the project also the delivery of equipment and start-up support to the designed Enefit280 oil plant are included.
San Leon plans to produce electricity and oil from oil shale in Morocco, based on the Tarfaya oil shale deposit. The oil shale found in the deposit contains an estimated 500 million barrels of shale oil.
"The production of liquid fuels from oil shale has great global development potential, as it provides a real alternative to crude oil. We have a technology that is efficient and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, we have a unique long-term experience in the production of liquid fuels from oil shale in the world. This cooperation agreement is recognition of the development work performed by Estonian engineers," said Alo Kelder, Chief Executive Officer of EOT.
"We are delighted to cooperate with Enefit Outotec Technology in developing the Moroccan oil shale resources," said Oisin Fanning, Chairman of San Leon. He stressed that Morocco is a country with one of the largest oil shale reserves in the world and interest towards electricity and oil from local raw materials is great. For the processing of local oil shale, San Leon plans to apply various methods, combining in-situ and ex-situ processes.
Eesti Energia, the parent company of EOT, started the hot commissioning of the first Enefit280 shale oil plant that uses the new generation technology at the end of July. The first shale oil from the new plant is expected in September.
Eesti Energia and Outotec founded the joint venture Enefit Outotec Technology in 2009. The main field of business of the joint venture is the development and sale of shale oil production technology Enefit. Eesti Energia owns 60% and Outotec 40% of the holding in the joint venture.
Eesti Energia has analysed Moroccan oil shale reserves earlier as well. In 2010, oil shale was analysed in the Aghbala and Errachidia deposits. As the quality of the rock analysed in these regions was not good enough to be economically justified for processing, the project was ended.
San Leon Energy Plc http://www.sanleonenergy.com/sanleon/ is an international energy group listed on London Stock Exchange, developing the production of electricity, oil and gas in North-Africa and Europe, including the production of electricity and liquid fuels from oil shale in Morocco.
-End-
Enefit is developing a shale oil plant and oil shale fired power plant also in Jordan.
Earlier this year Enefit, together with its partners YTL Power International Berhad of Malaysia and Near East Investments of Jordan, issued an international tender for engineering, procurement and construction for Jordan's first direct burning oil shale fired power plant. The plant, which will be based at the Attarat um Ghudran oil shale deposit approximately 100km south east of Amman, will have a capacity of approximately 460MW and is expected to reduce the Kingdom's expenditure on energy imports by more than JD 350 million per year.
Enefit is the national energy company of Estonia. Enefit owns and operates some 2,000MW of direct oil shale fired mine-mouth power generation capacity and supplies electricity to some 500,000 customers. Enefit is currently constructing a further 300MW circulating fluidised bed power generation plant in Estonia which will be the most efficient and environmentally friendly oil shale fired power plant in the world. The new power plant is scheduled to be operational at the end of 2015.
Enefit is also one of the largest producers of (kerogen) shale oil in the world and has been engaged in oil shale processing for over 30 years.
More than 1 billion tons of oil shale have been mined, nearly 200 million barrels of oil have been produced and more than 550TWh of electricity have been produced from oil shale in Estonia to date.
© Press Release 2012
