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Geothermal potential of Agri, Türkiye being evaluated by ITU

Geothermal potential of Agri, Türkiye being evaluated by ITU Agri Diyadin Geothermal field (source: Diyadin Municipality)
Carlo Cariaga 12 Dec 2022

The geothermal potential of the Diyadin district of Agri, Turkiye is the subject of a study being done in cooperation between the AICU and ITU.

Studies are ongoing to evaluate the geothermal potential of Diyadin district of Agri in Türkiye , which stands out with its rich geothermal resources. A cooperation with Agri Ibrahim Cecen University (AICÜ) and Istanbul Technical University (ITU) has been created for this study.

As reported in a local news, academics from both universities collected soil, rock and water samples from the area to study the water quality of the geothermal springs in Diyadin district. The samples taken will be examined in ITU laboratories.

The infrastructure construction protocol for the first phase of the planned geothermal greenhouse project in the Diyadin district was signed earlier this year.  In order to use the geothermal resources in the district for agriculture, tomato production is carried out 12 months of the year in the greenhouses established on 40 decares of land in the region.

An “Academic Cooperation Protocol” was signed a while ago between AICÜ and ITU in order to reveal the natural and cultural potential of the city and to make it a tourism destination. Within the scope of the protocol, academicians from two universities visited Diyadi district to evaluate the geothermal potential of Agri.

“Electrical energy production of geothermal energy, which is a renewable, clean, cheap, environmentally friendly and domestic underground resource, meets the regional heat needs, including those for greenhouse cultivation, production of organic agricultural products, product drying, thermal tourism and health purposes. However, the geothermal energy in Diyadin, which has an important potential, has only been utilized in a very limited amount in the fields of greenhouse cultivation, regional warming, and health,” said AICÜ Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Kaya.

ITU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. He pointed out that most of the surrounding stones are of travertine origin and from volcanic interlayers. Kumral continued: “You can also smell sulfur here. The smell of sulfur is not normally encountered in old spas. When you go to Afyonkarahisar, you almost never detect this smell. While this region shows a very young system and rich magma at depths, we also saw structures containing sulfur odor or light iron at some points. Spas are also systems that produce minerals economically.”

Vice Rector Kaya stated that they carried out a very productive and scientific field trip in the field of geothermal together with academicians from ITU, along with a preliminary assessment of the geothermal energy potential of the district.

Source: Dersim Gazetesi via our Turkish language platform JeotermalHaberler