| Title | Wellhead Binary Cycle Geothermal Power Plant Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Authors | Outten, Thomas W.; Tanner, Alvin L.; Linam, Paul A.; Norman, William M. |
| Year | 1985 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Power Generation; General; Economics; Power Plant Design |
| Abstract | Conceptual designed and estimates of capital costs as well as operating and maintenance costs were developed for wellhead binary cycle geothermal power plants. Known geothermal resources were characterized and three were selected as typical of the geothermal resources most likely to be developed for utility use within the next decade. Two wellhead power plant sizes were evaluated for each resource, resulting in six cases. A group of ten wellhead power plants was considered for the full development of a geothermal resource field. Prefabrication of modules containing portions of the facility was evaluated and included in the design where appropriate. The design development an cost estimates were based on mature technology indicative of the 5th to 10th plant installation to eliminate first of a king engineering and development costs. Estimates of the cost of electricity were developed for each case. The sensitivity of the cost of electricity was examined for a number of variables. At brine costs of about $1 million Btu, some of the plants were judged to be competitive. |