The State of exploitation of geothermal energy and some interesting achievements in geothermal research and development in the world

Authors

  • Dušan Rajver
  • Nina Rman
  • Andrej Lapanje

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5474/geologija.2016.007

Abstract

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 significant 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 scientific innovations in exploration and exploitation of geothermal energy.

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How to Cite

Rajver, D., Rman, N., & Lapanje, A. (2016). The State of exploitation of geothermal energy and some interesting achievements in geothermal research and development in the world. Geologija, 59(1), 99–114. https://doi.org/10.5474/geologija.2016.007

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