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Article: EGS could take geothermal power mainstream

Article: EGS could take geothermal power mainstream Installation at Soultz geothermal plant, France (source: soultz.net)
Alexander Richter 25 Jul 2010

Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) could open the widespreadh use for geothermal energy for electricity generation, so a recent article.

In an article Philippe Dumas of EGEC and Thomas Koelbel, make the case for EGS, which could – so they say open the way for widespread geothermal energy utilization.

In Renewable Energy World the say that, “challenged by climate change and the need to secure sustainable economic growth, Europe wants 20% of its total energy consumption to come from renewable sources by 2020. This goal can only be accomplished by a balanced energy mix, which captures the respective advantages from each energy source and allows them to complement each other to form a working ensemble.

The grid integration of energy from fluctuating supply will have a severe impact on future power networks. Baseload supply and controllability will become increasingly important and geothermal is one of the few renewable energy sources able to supply consistent 24/7 power production. Generation based on the heat from deep inside the earth is also adjustable and therefore geothermal power appears to be an ideal addition to the prospective energy mix.

Geothermal energy utilization is neither new nor negligible. The first electricity production happened as early as in 1907 in the Italian village Larderello, and today more than 50 GWh is generated per year worldwide. Nevertheless, this figure is still small compared with the enormous theoretical potential. There is no geographical restriction to the exploitation of geothermal energy, as the source is present everywhere. However, some regions benefit from more favourable conditions that allow an earlier development of geothermal resources, under more economical conditions, using currently available technology. As a consequence, the majority of the geothermal power plants in Europe are located in Iceland and Italy, where unusually high temperatures at comparatively limited depth dominate.

In these high enthalpy (heat potential relative to depth) regions, steam-driven power plants are deployed. However, the development of new geothermal power plants with low-temperature turbine circuits allows electricity production from low- and medium-temperature resources (between 90°C and 150°C), as demonstrated in Germany and Austria. When we consider the fact that more than 95% of the European land surface lies in low enthalpy regions, it is clear what kind of opportunities exist for future development.

The technical feasibility of geothermal energy generation in low enthalpy areas has long been proved. Although hydrothermal deposits are currently those mostly utilized, there is common consent within the international geothermal community that Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) – formerly known as Hot Dry Rock – as used by the French geothermal prototype facility in Soultz-sous-Forêts, represent the key technology for worldwide development.”

For the full article, see link below.

Source: Renewable Energy World