The state of exploitation of geothermal energy and some interesting achievements in geothermal research and development in the world
The article presents the latest status of geothermal energy use worldwide and the comparison with the previous period, both in electricity generation as well as in the various categories of direct use. Electricity production takes place in 26 countries and has at the end of 2014 reached 73,700 GWh...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Geological Survey of Slovenia
2016-08-01
|
| Series: | Geologija |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.geologija-revija.si/dokument.aspx?id=1274 |
| Summary: | The article presents the latest status of geothermal energy use worldwide and the comparison with the previous
period, both in electricity generation as well as in the various categories of direct use. Electricity production takes
place in 26 countries and has at the end of 2014 reached 73,700 GWh from geothermal power plants with nearly
12.8 GW of installed power. This is still only 0.31 % of the total electricity produced in the world and it will be
interesting to monitor the future share of geothermal energy in doing so. In the last 5-year period the development
was particularly rapid in countries where it was slower in the past and, however, with favorable geological (tectonic)
conditions (Iceland, Kenya, New Zealand, Turkey, etc.). Direct use of geothermal energy covers a signifiant number
of countries, today there are 82, although some of them are such where it takes place almost solely by geothermal
(ground-source) heat pumps (GHP) on shallow subsurface energy (Finland). Installed capacity in the direct use is
70,885 MWt and geothermal energy used, including the GHP, is 592,638 TJ/year (end of 2014). Within the used energy
the share of GHP dominates with 55.2 %, followed by the bathing and swimming pools complexes incl. balneology by
20.2 %, space heating by 15.0 % (the majority of it is district heating), heating of greenhouses and soil with 4.9 %, etc.
The second part presents some interesting technological and scientifi innovations in exploration and exploitation of
geothermal energy. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0016-7789 1854-620X |