International Women’s Day 2022
Today is International Women’s Day, a global movement to recognize the social, cultural, economic, and political achievements of girls and women. Part of its mission is to help forge inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive, and their aspirations celebrated.
Recognizing all the inspiring women in the innovation ecosystem, we had the opportunity to speak with Kirsten Marcia, President of Deep Earth Energy Production (DEEP), an organization with the mission to develop Saskatchewan’s geothermal resources for power generation. Having pursued a career in both STEM & business wherein challenges surrounding gender inequalities are present, Marcia shares her journey as a leader navigating the industry and all the great things that DEEP is doing!
Her Journey
“Having grown up in Estevan, Saskatchewan, I was surrounded by energy and coal mining operations. I would always see signs throughout the city that say Energy Capital of Saskatchewan, so it started to spark my curiosity as to what kind of careers are out there in the field,” Marcia shares.
Marcia’s discovered passion for science, along with her exposure to the energy, oilfield & mining industry at a young age, motivated her to pursue education in geology from the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan. From there she found comradery with other women in the geology field. She adds, “That’s what really got me going! Women supporting women.”
Nonetheless, Marcia understands the challenges that come with being in the sector. If there is one piece of advice that she could offer girls and women who are pursuing a career in STEM, or perhaps a leadership role within organizations, it is to “have the courage to be heard.” She adds, “Ask questions and offer answers. Don’t fear the thought of not being 100% correct all the time.” 
Her Work with DEEP Corporation
Marcia, along with her team at DEEP, are working on developing a 32-megawatt geothermal power facility in Southern Saskatchewan. DEEP will harness high-quality geothermal resources with existing drilling and power generation technologies to establish a long-term renewable baseload (24 hours a day, 365 days a year) power supply. Some of the notable geothermal power benefits include:
- Being the only renewable energy source that can produce baseload power 24/7.
- Zero carbon-based fuel consumption and facilities have a small footprint.
- Production of useful by-products – heat – which can be integrated to supply greenhouses, fish farms, food processing, and other industrial applications.
- Ongoing supply, which means that plants fuelled by this energy source can run indefinitely.
- Building on Saskatchewan’s world-class drilling technology and expertise.
What’s in the Future?
Marcia’s vision for DEEP within three to five years is to have the first geothermal power facility fully commissioned. “We’re looking to expand in the geothermal field to 200 megawatts of clean baseload power generation in Saskatchewan,” she explains. The power plants being developed in this project could each power up to 30,000 to 40,000 households.
She adds, “I believe that this project could not go ahead if it was not in Saskatchewan. In this province, we have the resources, the regulatory frameworks, and world-class oilfield expertise to support it.”
We look forward to seeing the progress of DEEP and its success on producing sustainable, renewable power!
Other Info:
Website: https://deepcorp.ca/
Facebook: @deepenergyearthproduction
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/deep-earth-energy-production-corp
Twitter: @DeepEarthEnergy
