Geothermal energy utilization in Turkey

This paper investigates the status of geothermal development in Turkey as of the end of 1999. Turkey is one of the countries with significant potential in geothermal energy. Resource assessments have been made many times by the Mineral Research and Exploration Directorate (MTA) of Turkey. The main uses of geothermal energy are mostly moderate‐ and low‐temperature applications such as space heating and domestic hot water supply, greenhouse heating, swimming and balneology, industrial processes, heat pumps and electricity generation. The data accumulated since 1962 show that the estimated geothermal power and direct use potential are about 4500 MW_e and 31 500 MW_t, respectively. The direct use capacity in thermal applications is in total 640 MW_t representing only 2 per cent of its total potential. Since 1990, space heating and greenhouse developments have exhibited a significant progress. The total area of greenhouses heated by geothermal energy reached up to about 31 ha with a heating capacity of 69.61 MW_t. A geothermal power plant with a capacity of 20.4 MW_e and a CO₂ factory with a capacity of 40000 ton yr^?1 have been operated in the Denizli‐Kizildere field since 1984 and 1986, respectively. Ground source heat pumps have been used in residential buildings for heating and cooling for approximately 2 years. Present applications have shown that geothermal energy in Turkey is clean and much cheaper compared to the other energy sources like fossil fuels and therefore is a promising alternative. As the projects are recognized by the public, the progress will continue. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geothermal energy in Kenya

Kenya has joined the list of countries that generate electricity from geothermal sources. A 15 MW geothermal station at Olkaria, near Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley, began operating in August 1981 and is already providing Kenya with 7% of its electricity needs, at an economic cost.     

Geothermal energy in Turkey: 2008 update

Geological studies indicate that the most important geothermal systems of western Turkey are located in the major grabens of the Menderes Metamorphic Massif, while those that are associated with local volcanism are more common in the central and eastern parts of the country. The present (2008) installed geothermal power generation capacity in Turkey is about 32.65 MWe, while that of direct use projects is around 795 MWt. Eleven major, high-to-medium enthalpy fields in western part of the country have 570 MWe of proven, 905 MWe of probable and 1389 MWe of possible geothermal reserves for power generation. In spite of the complex legal issues related to the development of Turkey's geothermal resources, their use is expected to increase in the future, particularly for electricity generation and for greenhouse heating.     

Geothermal energy and the dissemination of information: the role of the International Geothermal Association

The International Geothermal Association (IGA), founded on 6 July 1988, is an international, worldwide, non-profit and non-governmental association whose objective and mission is to promote the research and utilization of geothermal resources, through the compilation, publication, and dissemination of scientific and technical data and information. The Information Committee (IC) of the IGA is responsible for advising the IGA Board on policies concerned with the collection, compilation, publication, exchange and dissemination of geothermal information, including information on utilization, development, technical findings, scientific research, meetings, publications and Association activities. The Committee is also responsible for the implementation of information policies determined by the Board.     

Cost function estimates,scale economies and technological progress in the Turkish electricity generation sector

Turkish electricity sector has undergone significant institutional changes since 1984. The recent developments since 2001 including the setting up of a regulatory agency to undertake the regulation of the sector and increasing participation of private investors in the field of electricity generation are of special interest. This paper estimates cost functions and investigates the degree of scale economies, overinvestment, and technological progress in the Turkish electricity generation sector for the period 1984–2006 using long-run and short-run translog cost functions. Estimations were done for six groups of firms, public and private. The results indicate existence of scale economies throughout the period of analysis, hence declining long-run average costs. The paper finds empirical support for the Averch–Johnson effect until 2001, i.e., firms overinvested in an environment where there are excess returns to capital. But this effect was reduced largely after 2002. Technological progress deteriorated slightly from 1984–1993 to 1994–2001 but improved after 2002. Overall, the paper found that regulation of the market under the newly established regulating agency after 2002 was effective and there are potential gains from such regulation.     

Renewable energy utilization in Iran

At present, due to the adoption of stringent environmental laws and also because of the energy crisis, countries (especially industrial ones) are taking the development of renewable energies more seriously. Iran is one of the largest producers and exporters of petroleum and natural gas in the world. Because of this, development of renewable energies did not attract considerable attention during the past decades. The present research intends to study renewable energy utilization in Iran and provide readers with complete information on the development trend of renewable energies and the problems and limitations faced for their development. Other methods of electricity generation such as the use of nuclear energy also developed considerably in the past, but their features will not be discussed here because they are not considered renewable energies.     

The electricity market potential of geothermal energy: A regionally aggregative analysis

This research presents estimates of potential regional electric market shares for geothermally produced electricity in the Rocky Mountain Basin and Range Region of the western United States. A model is described which simulates the exploration for and the discovery and harnessing of electric grade geothermal energy resources during the period 1986–1995. Concurrently, electricity demand forecasts are prepared for the same period using a set of estimated electricity demand models. The two forecasts are then integrated to calculate regional electric market shares for a set of alternate electricity price futures.     

Emerging trends in nuclear energy

Nuclear energy is faltering in many places — especially in the USA: should we write it off as the bubble that burst? The author sees underlying trends that justify a more optimistic view of nuclear energy's future — the continuing tendency for the electricity intensity of economic activity to rise while the total energy intensity falls; a consistently favourable price trend for electricity compared with energy prices generally — a trend that may become more favourable if his judgement that nuclear plants will turn out to be very long-lived is borne out by events; the substitution of electricity-based processes in industry for older processes; and the development of ultra-safe reactors which will remove once and for all the fears of accidents such as the one that occurred at Three Mile Island.     

A new sustainable hydrogen clean energy paradigm

We analyze the feasibility of a novel, hydrogen fuel cell electric generator to provide power with zero noise and emissions for myriad ground based applications. The hydrogen fuel cell electric generator utilizes a novel, scalable apparatus that safely generates hydrogen (H₂) on demand according to a novel method, using a controlled chemical reaction between water (H₂O) and sodium (Na) metal that yields hydrogen gas of sufficient purity for direct use in fuel cells without risk of contaminating sensitive catalysts. The sodium hydroxide (NaOH) byproduct of the hydrogen producing reaction, is collected within the apparatus for later reprocessing by electrolysis, to recover the Na reactant. The detailed analysis shows that the novel, hydrogen fuel cell electric generator will be capable of meeting the clean power requirements for residential and commercial buildings including single family homes and light commercial establishments under a wide range of geographic and climatic conditions.     

Analysis of a sequential production of electricity,ice and drying of agricultural products by cascading geothermal energy

In this paper, it is presented an analysis for the sequential production of electricity, ice and drying of agricultural products, by the concept of cascade for medium and low temperature geothermal energy. To carry out the analysis, a set of practical assumptions for the integration of technologies operated by cascade method for geothermal energy were defined. The geothermal cascade is composed of three thermal levels, each one operating under different temperatures in decreasing form. Additionally, the thermal cascade is composed at the first level by an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) for electricity production. In the second thermal level, by an absorption refrigeration cycle for ice production, and in the third level includes a dehydrator for drying of agricultural products. The agricultural products considered for dehydration are: avocado, green chile and tomato. Once the main assumptions were set, five integration alternatives and five different modes of operation of the system were proposed. The alternatives have different features for the activation of the first thermal level of the cascade, different nominal capacities of electricity production, cold, and quantity of product to be dehydrated. Subsequently, a technical-economic analysis is carried out to obtain the performance and energy characteristics of the different thermal levels of the cascade, different modes of operation, carbon dioxide emissions, cost estimations and indicators of economic viability. The results indicate that the dehydration process improves drastically the economic profits of all alternatives, especially for dehydration of tomato, achieving simple payback periods of around one year, overall energy efficiency of up to 17.84% and greenhouse emissions reduction of 537.7 tonnes of CO₂ per year. Concerning the modes of operation, it was determined that the one based on only-electricity production is not desirable due to the worst energy and economic performance.     

Geothermal energy use in hydrogen liquefaction

We propose the use of geothermal energy for hydrogen liquefaction, and investigate three possible cases for accomplishing such a task including (1) using geothermal output work as the input for a liquefaction cycle; (2) using geothermal heat in an absorption refrigeration process to precool the gas before the gas is liquefied in a liquefaction cycle; and (3) using part of the geothermal heat for absorption refrigeration to precool the gas and part of the geothermal heat to produce work and use it in a liquefaction cycle (i.e., cogeneration). A binary geothermal power plant is considered for power production while the precooled Linde–Hampson cycle is considered for hydrogen liquefaction. A liquid geothermal resource is considered and both ideal (i.e., reversible) and non-ideal (e.g., irreversible) system operations are analyzed. A procedure for such an investigation is developed and appropriate performance parameters are defined. Also, the effects of geothermal water temperature and gas precooling temperature on system performance parameters are studied. The results show that there is a significant amount of energy savings potential in the liquefaction work requirement as a result of precooling the gas in a geothermal absorption cooling system. Using geothermal energy in a cogeneration scheme (power production and absorption cooling) also provides significant advantages over the use of geothermal energy for power production only.     

Natural future of energy utilization

To build a harmonious world where human development is compatible with environmental sustainability, energy utilization tends to be more natural. This perspective article reveals the natural essence of energy utilization and discusses the natural future in different energy domains by representative examples and applications. To clarify the natural essence of energy utilization, it also presents some characteristics with reference to stability, safety, feasibility, efficiency and eco‐sustainability. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A snapshot of geothermal energy potential and utilization in Turkey

Turkey is one of the countries with significant potential in geothermal energy. It is estimated that if Turkey utilizes all of her geothermal potential, she can meet 14% of her total energy need (heat and electricity) from geothermal sources. Therefore, today geothermal energy is an attractive option in Turkey to replace fossil fuels. Besides, increase in negative effects of fossil fuels on the environment has forced many countries, including Turkey, to use renewable energy sources. Also, Turkey is an energy importing country; more than two-thirds of her energy requirement is supplied by imports. In this context, geothermal energy appears to be one of the most efficient and effective solutions for sustainable energy development and environmental pollution prevention in Turkey. Since geothermal energy will be used more and more in the future, its current potential, usage, and assessment in Turkey is the focus of the present study. The paper not only presents a review of the potential and utilization of the geothermal energy in Turkey but also provides some guidelines for policy makers.     

Economic potential of renewable energy in Vietnam's power sector

A bottom-up Integrated Resource Planning model is used to examine the economic potential of renewable energy in Vietnam's power sector. In a baseline scenario without renewables, coal provides 44% of electricity generated from 2010 to 2030. The use of renewables could reduce that figure to 39%, as well as decrease the sector's cumulative emission of CO₂ by 8%, SO₂ by 3%, and NO_x by 4%. In addition, renewables could avoid installing 4.4 GW in fossil fuel generating capacity, conserve domestic coal, decrease coal and gases imports, improving energy independence and security. Wind could become cost-competitive assuming high but plausible on fossil fuel prices, if the cost of the technology falls to 900 US$/kW.     

Power generation from geothermal resources in Turkey

This study provides information on power generation via geothermal resources and sector development. The first instance of power generation from geothermal resources was performed by a state-owned power plant at Kızıldere-Denizli, whereas the first private sector investment was the Dora-I power plant, commissioned in 2006. Legislation regulating rights ownership and certification laws was issued in 2007. The installed capacity of the geothermal resources is 311.871 MW for 16 power plants, and power generation licenses were issued for 713.541 MW at the end of 2012. The total potential geothermal power that can be generated in Turkey is estimated to be approximately 2000 MW. The geothermal fields in Turkey produce high levels of greenhouse gases, which have been deemed highly responsible for global warming. Due to high CO₂ emissions, the geothermal energy sector risks a carbon tax in the near future. For certain geothermal resources, multiple investors produce electricity from the same resource. The sector will inevitably experience severe damage unless permanent solutions are devised for problems related to sustainably managing geothermal resources and environmental problems.     

生物质能利用方式的分析比较

简要分析了几种生物质能利用方式的技术性、经济性和社会性特征。通过比较，认为通过热化学法或生化法将生物质转化为液态或气态燃料即可提升生物质能的能量品质，又可大大拓展生物质能的使用范围，是生物质能利用的主要方式。其中，生化法由于其近于零污染的特性而将成为生物质能利用的首选方式。     

废弃矿井资源的可再生能源开发利用

随着中国煤炭供给侧改革的深入,煤炭淘汰落后产能工作持续推进,废弃煤矿数量将逐步增加,开展废弃矿井煤及可再生能源开发利用战略研究具有重要的意义。文章梳理了中国废弃矿井可再生能源开发利用现状及存在的问题,分析了废弃矿井可再生能源开发利用模式,评价了废弃矿井可再生能源开发利用前景,提出了废弃矿井可再生能源开发利用的发展建议。     

汽水全流及闪蒸发电系统能量利用率的比较

本文从能量利用角度,对热水、汽水混合物的全流发电方法和闪蒸发电方法进行了比较。在汽水混合发电系统中,提出当量热水温度概念,简化了汽水混合发电系统的热力计算。在实际汽水发电系统中,对与闪蒸发电量相同的全流发电系统进行热力计算,得到了不同热源温度、干度下全流动力机的最小内效率曲线。     

Optimum energy storage techniques for the improvement of renewable energy sources-based electricity generation economic efficiency

The high wind and solar potential along with the extremely high electricity production cost met in the majority of Greek Aegean islands comprising autonomous electrical networks, imply the urgency for new renewable energy sources (RES) investments. To by-pass the electrical grid stability constraints arising from an extensive RES utilization, the adaptation of an appropriate energy storage system (ESS) is essential. In the present analysis, the cost effect of introducing selected storage technologies in a large variety of autonomous electrical grids so as to ensure higher levels of RES penetration, in particular wind and solar, is examined in detail. A systematic parametrical analysis concerning the effect of the ESSs’ main parameters on the economic behavior of the entire installation is also included. According to the results obtained, a properly sized RES-based electricity generation station in collaboration with the appropriate energy storage equipment is a promising solution for the energy demand problems of numerous autonomous electrical networks existing worldwide, at the same time suggesting a clean energy generation alternative and contributing to the diminution of the important environmental problems resulting from the operation of thermal power stations.     

国内外能源利用效率比较及对我国的启示

经济增长与能源消耗之间有着密切的关系。通过对快速增长的新兴经济体以及经历类似阶段的发达国家的能源利用效率的比较和政策的分析,指出我国能源问题的原因在于生活、建筑能耗方面及高耗能行业的过度消耗,进而提出规范市场、优化产业结构等政策建议,从而实现使经济发展走上资源节约型、环境友好型的良性循环这一目标。