Chapter 1: Background To Geothermal Electricity: Technologies

Chapter 1: Background to Geothermal Electricity
Technologies
Until a century ago, the exploitation of geothermal resources was primarily for leisure purpose; hot
springs and geothermal baths. It was at the beginning of the 20th century that active exploitation of
geothermal resources for electricity supply purposes was inaugurated. Successful production of
electricity from geothermal heat was first achieved in Larderello, Italy, in 1904.
Since this period, the production of geothermal electricity has steadily increased, though has been
concentrated in areas where high temperature hydrothermal resources are available. The
technological systems for geothermal electricity production can be subdivided in three large
categories, which are also linked to the temperature ranges:
Minimum production temperature: 80°C (Medium Enthalpy resources): this range of

temperature is appropriate for use with binary plants (Organic Rankine or Kalina cycle), with
typical power in the range 0.1-10 MWe. These systems are also suitable for heat & power co-
generation, typically for single edifice to small towns heating;
Minimum production temperature: 150°C (High Enthalpy resources): temperatures in this range
can be exploited with dry steam, flash and hybrid plants, with typical power in the range 10-100
MWe. These systems also allow heat cogeneration for large towns’ district heating. Above 200°C,
these resources are generally limited to volcanic areas.
Minimum production temperature 390°C (Supercritical unconventional resources):

temperatures in this range, limited to volcanic areas, generally involve superheated dry steam
plants, with power per unit volume of fluid up to one order of magnitude larger than
conventional resources.
Besides the temperature range, the methods of exploitation can be further subdivided in two
categories: conventional (dry steam and flash steam turbines) and low temperature (binary)
geothermal electricity.
Conventional geothermal electricity: dry steam and flash steam turbines

Operating with large hydrothermal reservoirs at high temperature, i.e. above 150°C, such as those
found in Tuscany (Italy) and Iceland, this technology has 100 years of history and is fully competitive
today with a full cost of about 7€ct/kWh including systems costs and externalities.
Flash: The high temperature, water at high pressure is brought to surface, where it is enters a
low pressure chamber and ‘flashes’ into steam. The pressure created by this steam is
channelled through a turbine, which spins to generate electrical power. Once the steam has
exited the turbine, it is either released into the atmosphere as water vapour, or it cools back
into liquid water and is injected back underground.
Dry Steam: dry steam power plants utilise straight-forwardly steam which is piped from
production wells to the plant, then directed towards turbine blades. Conventional dry steam
turbines require fluids of at least 150°C and are available with either atmospheric
(backpressure) or condensing exhausts.
Regrettably, it is very unlikely that new large geothermal reservoirs will be discovered in Europe.
Therefore new projects need to be adapted to smaller and cooler resources.
6
Low temperature, hydrothermal geothermal electricity: Binary: ORC and Kalina Cycle
Binary, known also as organic Rankine cycle (ORC) or Kalina Cycle, plants operate usually with waters
in the 100 to 180°C temperature range. Working fluid selection, in cooperation with beneficial
conditions such as access to effective cooling, may allow power production from as low
temperatures as 80°C.
In a binary system, the heat of water is transferred to a separate liquid with a lower boiling
temperature. The separate liquid is called a ‘working fluid’. When the hot geothermal water is
brought to surface from deep underground, it is run through a ‘heat exchanger’ which transfers the
heat from the geothermal water to the liquid working fluid. Because the working fluid boils at a low
temperature, it vaporises readily with less geothermal heat, and this vaporization produces enough
pressure to drive a turbine. What makes a binary system unique is that it operates as a two closed-
loops (hence, binary); neither the geothermal water nor the working fluid are exposed to the surface
environment. All the water that is brought to surface has to be re-injected, and after vaporizing, the
working fluid is cooled to its liquid state, so it may repeat the process. There are no-emissions in the
binary geothermal cycle.
Beyond Hydrothermal: Enhanced Geothermal Systems – EGS

Geothermal energy has the potential to make a more significant contribution to the European
electricity mix through the development of advanced technologies, especially the development of
hot rock resources using enhanced geothermal system (EGS) techniques that would enable thermal
energy recovery from more of the Earth’s crust.
An Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) is an underground reservoir that has been created or
improved artificially. The EGS concept is going to greatly increase geothermal potential as it allows
for the production of geothermal electricity nearly anywhere in Europe with medium and low
temperature.
An Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS)
This concept involves:

• Using the natural fracture systems in the basement rocks
• Enlarging its permeability through stimulation
• Installing a multi-well system
• Through pumping and lifting, forcing the water to migrate through the fracture system of
enhanced permeability ("reservoir") and use the heat for power production.

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Chapter 1: Background to Geothermal Electricity

Minimum production temperature: 80°C (Medium Enthalpy resources): this range of

Minimum production temperature 390°C (Supercritical unconventional resources):

Conventional geothermal electricity: dry steam and flash steam turbines

Beyond Hydrothermal: Enhanced Geothermal Systems – EGS

An Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS)

This concept involves:

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