Who are the existing members of the IPGT?
Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States have signed the IPGT Charter.
What are the criteria for membership to the IPGT?
The IPGT strives to be as inclusive as possible. Future members will be countries that are actively involved in the advancement of geothermal technology and have ongoing geothermal projects. There should be a clear rationale for another member to join the Steering Committee (SC). In order to sign the Charter Agreement and sit on the SC, a country must demonstrate (at minimum):
1) Active government involvement and financial support for geothermal technology R&D
2) Active geothermal companies in a position to further the development of geothermal technologies located in that country.
How does a country apply for membership?
In order to formally request membership to the IPGT and SC, a country should submit a letter [with supporting documentation] from the appropriate government agency to the Secretariat outlining how it meets the membership criteria outlined above and what tangible benefit it would add to the IPGT. An applicant should
also be prepared to cooperate with the SC and Secretariat to provide additional information or documentation as necessary on its geothermal activities, policies and the nature of supported R&D.If invited to join the IPGT, a country will appoint a delegation to represent it at SC meetings. This delegation should consist of one representative from government, and one representative from a company or private-sector entity in the interested country. Member countries' delegations are expected to participate in all SC meetings, and member countries must participate in a substantive way in the projects and activities of the IPGT.
At in-person meetings held twice a year, the SC will consider potential new members and discuss whether the IPGT should expand. That said, the IPGT will be extremely open about who can participate in the projects and Working Groups. Membership to the official Partnership is not necessary to participate in its projects. Please contact the Secretariat for more detailed information.
My company is interested in joining a team to address one of your High Priority Topic Areas, but our government is not a member of the IPGT. Are we still able to participate?
Yes. Anyone may respond to our project documents or serve on a Working Group, regardless of citizenship. Participants interact with the Partnership through the SC and Working Group Conveners and need not be tied to any one country or represented on the SC. There may be future opportunities for companies to join the IPGT as members of project teams. However, a participant company will not have representation on the SC unless its government approaches the IPGT and is invited to join as a member.
What does the IPGT do?
The IPGT provides a forum for government and industry leaders to coordinate their efforts and collaborate on projects. Partners share information on research results and best practices to avoid blind alleys, limit unnecessary duplication, and efficiently accelerate the development of geothermal technologies.
The IPGT works on concrete R&D projects in specific areas in order to bring about focused, substantive advances in geothermal technology.
What are the IPGT's accomplishments to date?
The IPGT formed officially on August 28, 2008. The Partnership identified topics of high priority for collaboration and taken steps to begin assembling Working Groups to address the first six of these issues. (The six topics are: high temperature tools; lower cost drilling; zonal isolation and packers; stimulation procedures; exploration technologies; and modeling.) A seventh topic, induced seismicity, was added in 2010. Working Group Conveners from each member country have organized their teams and are in the process of developing White Papers and Research Plans which describe the status of the technology areas, critical research needs and identify areas for collaboration. The SC holds regular meetings and teleconferences to report on progress.
Does the IPGT focus only on EGS?
The IPGT focuses its energy on advanced geothermal technologies. However, almost all of the Partnership's areas of focus have applications in the broader geothermal industry.
Please contact the Secretariat if you have any other questions.