Work can begin on geothermal district heating project in Alexandroupolis, Greece
Following a lengthy process going through litigation, a planned geothermal district heating project in the municipality of Alexandroupolis in the Northeast of Greece can now go ahead.
As reported from Greece, cheap geothermal energy and heating is coming to Alexandroupolis, a seaside municipality in the east of the country. The green light has been given for the groundbreaking work on this district heating project. After months of litigation, work will begin next and be completed in 18 months. The project implemented by the Municipality of Alexandroupolis has a budget of EUR 6.2 million (USD 6.8m) and is considered pioneering for the whole of Greece, as it gives local communities great development opportunities, while also having positive effects on residents who can afford cheap heating.
In the municipality of Alexandroupolis there is a proven geothermal field of low enthalpy of 20,000 acres and the municipality has leased it from the Greek State for 70 years.
A competition that was held in early summer of 2018 initially attracted the interest of about 15 companies. Finally, the contractor for the project entitled: “Utilization of a Section of the Aristine Geothermal Field – Construction of a Thermal Power Station and Heating Networks for Rural Greenhouses and Buildings”, budget EUR 6,229,005.78, was awarded the J / C. THES / NIKIS SA –MICHAIL KOUGOULOS & SIA EE-MITROPOULOS MICHAEL of GEORGIOS.
The project encountered significant delays due to pre-trial appeals and objections that eventually reached the CoE, which a few days ago made its final decision.
The thermal power of the field is estimated at about 10 MW thermal of which 9 MW thermal will be used for district heating in three rural areas. The remaining 1 MW thermal will be used to heat 22 municipal buildings as well as all SOS Village buildings for which the Municipality has provided heating. The total length of the district heating network will be 18 km.
Recent pumping in the area showed that the water has reached almost 97 degrees Celsius. This is important as it gives new opportunities and prospects for exploiting the field.
As the deputy mayor of Energy, Natural Resources and Trajanoupolis , Eleni Inzepelidou , told ethnos.gr, “the new municipal authority has put the city’s energy hub as a priority. The goal is for studies that mature for so many years to become projects for the benefit of the citizens. ”
Source: Ethnos.gr