Klaipėda Geothermal Demonstration Plant

The Klaipėda Geothermal Demonstration Plant in Klaipėda, Lithuania, constructed during the late 1990s and early 2000s, was the first geothermal heating plant in the Baltic Sea region.cite web
title=Implementation Completion Report
url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2003/06/25/000012009_20030625143058/Rendered/INDEX/26174.txt
publisher=The World Bank
year=2005
pages=4
accessdate=2008-05-04] Its purpose was to reduce carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate emissions in the area, as well as to reduce Lithuania's dependence on foreign energy sources. The plant supplies district heating to the city. Construction was financed by a loan from the World Bank (US$5.9 million) and a grant from the Global Environment Facility (US$6.9 million). The Danish state company Dansk Olie og Naturgas (now DONG Energy) provided technical support, and Enterprise Geoterma (EG) served as the implementing agency. The total cost of the plant was US$19.5 million. [cite web
title=Newsletter of the International Geothermal Association
url=http://www.geothermal.org/IGANews/IGANews0305.pdf
publisher=International Geothermal Association
date=2005
accessdate=2008-05-04]

Background

After declaring independence from the Soviet Union, the Baltic States of Lithuania and Latvia were left with an energy sector that was heavily reliant on imported gas, oil, and nuclear fuel sources. [cite web
title= Baltic states in EU energy tie-up
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6220572.stm
publisher=BBC News
date=2006
accessdate=2008-05-04] [cite web
title=Promotion of renewable energy in Baltic States (abstract)
url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VMY-4GFV2CC-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=d23ccb084e8b2427daf3aeb5f6ac0227
publisher=Science Direct
date=2005
accessdate=2008-05-04] In 1996, when the plant project was appraised, domestic energy sources supplied only 2% of Lithuania's heat demand. The states began considering renewable energy projects in response. Between 1992 and 1994 the Government of Denmark financed a study of the geothermal potential in Lithuania and Latvia called "Baltic Geothermal Energy Project". Regional aquifers within the Devonian and Cambrian strata were analyzed along with the energy needs and geothermal potential of 12 urban areas: Klaipėda, Palanga, Siauliai, Silale, Silute, Gargzdai, Radviliskis, and Joniskis in Lithuania, and Liepaja, Riga, Jurmala, and Jelgava in Latvia. On the basis of this project's findings and other investigations, Klaipėda was chosen as a pilot location.cite web
title=Inauguration of first geothermal plant in Lithuania
url=http://www.geothermie.de/iganews/no59/inauguration_of_first_geothermal.htm
publisher=International Geothermal Association
year=2005
accessdate=2008-05-04] The World Bank had estimated the plant would reduce annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) by 47,800 tons and nitrogen dixodes (NO_X) by 1 ton if it replaced natural gas as a fuel, and reduce CO₂ emissions by 51,940 tons, NO_X by 11 tons, and sulfur dioxides by 1,160 tons per year if it additionally replaced heavy fuel oil. According to this estimate, the plant would satisfy about 10% of the city's heat demand.

Plant design and operation

The potential for geothermal heating using the source aquifer arises from the Gotland tectonic belt and Polotsk–Kurzeme fault belt interface in the area, which generates thermal anomalies. [cite web|title=Klaipėda tectonic sigmoid|url=http://images.katalogas.lt/maleidykla/Geol74/Geol_033_038.pdf|publisher=Lietuvos mokslų akademija|year=2007|accessdate=2008-05-04]

The plant uses convert|38|°C|°F|0 water from a well drilled into a Devonian aquifer about convert|1100|m|ft|-2 beneath the surface. The heat is extracted using an absorption heat pump, and circulates in a closed loop. It then contributes to the existing district heating system. [cite web
title=Klaipeda Geothermal Demonstration Project
url=http://www.gefweb.org/Outreach/outreach-PUblications/Project_factsheet/Lithuania-klai-1-cc-wb-eng.pdf
publisher=Global Environment Facility
date=2004
accessdate=2008-05-04]

During its construction, difficulties arose when gypsum clogged the well's filters, but these problems were overcome, and in 2004 the State Commission confirmed a plant capacity of 3 MWt, of which geothermal constituted 13.6 MWt. 103,000 MWh of heat were produced in 2001, increasing to 215,000 MWh in 2003.

Enterprise Geoterma experienced financial difficulties, coming close to bankruptcy in 2007. The company planned to reconstruct the plant during 2008, possibly adding electrical generating capacity. [cite web
title=Alternatyvios energijos ateitis - šakėmis ant vandens
url=http://www.delfi.lt/archive/article.php?id=16893136
publisher=delfi.lt
date=2008-05-04
accessdate=2008-05-04 lt icon]

References

External links

* [http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?Projectid=P036011&theSitePK=40941&pagePK=64283627&menuPK=228424&piPK=73230 The World Bank: Projects - Lithuania]
*" [http://www.geothermie.de/egec-geothernet/ci_prof/europe/lithuania/0237.PDF Klaipeda Geothermal Demonstration Plant] " in "Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress"