Deep geothermal sources for electricity production in Slovakia: thermal conditions

Abstract

Abstract:The contribution presents the results of geothermic interpretation approaches applied to measured geothermal data and is focused to determination of the thermal conditions both for application of classic hydrothermal sources exploitation and specialized EGS technologies for electricity production in the region of Slovakia and adjacent areas. Primarily, the heat flow density data and the temperature distribution measurements in boreholes were interpreted by classic 1D interpolation and extrapolation methods. New terrestrial heat flow density map for the studied area was constructed using the values determined in boreholes, their interpretations, the newest outcomes of geothermal modelling methods based both on steady-state and transient heat transfer approaches, and on other recently gained geoscientific knowledge. Thereafter, we constructed the maps of temperature field distribution for selected depth levels up to 6000 m below the surface and the final map of the isothermal surface depths for the reservoir temperature of 160• C. This final map serves for the appraisal of the effective application of the binary cycle power plant technology in Slovakia in terms of thermal conditions.

Lithological composition in deep geothermal source reservoirs of temperature 160 °C in the territory of Slovakia

“…We utilized the principle of the successive separation on the geothermal base (Majcin et al 2017) which provides the depth distributions for deep temperature of about 160 • C. This temperature is sufficient for the reasonable economic exploitation of the geothermal energy for electricity production minimally by the binary cycle technologies. Applied were additional geological, economic and technical parameters of geothermal sources.…”

“…There the reservoir temperature of 160 • C is required as the smallest one for the reasonable electric energy production minimally by binary cycles (Kalina cycle, Organic Rankine cycle or others). The starting selection model is taken from the map published in Majcin et al (2017). The second criterion for the classification of geothermal source areas has technical and economical nature.…”

“…The territory of Slovakia belongs to the very perspective European areas suitable for the geothermal energy exploitation (Hurtig et al, 1992;Geoelec, 2013Geoelec, , 2016Majcin et al, 2017). The activities related to the geothermal energy sources prospection in Slovakia were devoted to some selected localities, however, there were published also global studies of the whole area of Slovakia.…”

“…The publications Majcin et al (2016Majcin et al ( , 2017 create the optimal geothermal base for selection of areas from region under study suitable for the deep geothermal energy utilization in the electric energy production. The mentioned papers provide, among other things, the depth distributions for deep temperature of about 160 • C which is sufficient for the reasonable economic exploitation of the geothermal energy for electricity production minimally by the binary cycle technologies.…”

REE Minerals as Geochemical Proxies of Late-Tertiary Alkalic Silicate ± Carbonatite Intrusions Beneath Carpathian Back-Arc Basin

“…The recently active, shallow magmatic reservoirs in the Lučenec basin and the Cerova Upland are unlikely despite the occurrence of relatively young, 1.6 Ma old magmatic zircons recovered from maar sediments [43] and even younger, Early Pleistocene (1.2-1.5 Ma) basalts NE of Fil'akovo [16]. The modern regional heat flow in this area,~90 mWm −2 , indicates partially molten masses~80-90 km deep [64,65].…”