Geothermal could play bigger role in Energy supply in Spain and Portugal
Map of surface heat flow in the Iberian peninsula. (Source: UVa-www.lacasig.com)
Francisco Rojas
11 Jun 2014
The Iberian Peninsula has capacity to produce up to 700 gigawatts if EGS were to be used with a depth between 3 and 10 km, where temperatures exceed 150 ° C.
In a recent study done in the Universidad de Valladolid, the potential for geothermal in Spain and Portugal is exposed. According to the news release, there is great potential in the area, up to 700 GW of capacity looming underground.
These significant potential could be harnessed by using EGS systems and according to the study, the regions where higher temperatures at shallower depths are reached, and therefore more susceptible geothermal potential and more detailed studies for development are Galicia, Castilla y Leon , The Central System, Andalusia and Catalonia . The reason is that there is more friction between the base plate and the presence of granitic materials.
Regarding the implementation of EGS technology, the authors of the report acknowledge that there are still important issues to investigate, such as appropriate drilling techniques, the best way to fracture the rock or how to operate advanced thermodynamic cycles.
For the full news piece, please follow the link below:
Source: SINC Website
