| Abstract |
The paper presents the status of geothermal energy development in Poland in 2012 and in some previous years specially since the update report presented at WGC 2010 (K.pi.ska, 2010). Poland has low-temperature geothermal resources connected mostly with Mesozoic sedimentary formations. Geothermal applications involve space heating, balneotherapy, bathing and recreation. The activities on geothermal heating deployment were initiated in the 1980s; the experimental stage of the first geothermal plant was opened in the Podhale region in 1992. Since that time six district heating plants have been launched. In 2012 their total installed geothermal capacity was 101.9 MWth and heat sales 533.66 TJ. In recent years a growing interest has been observed in recreation and balneotherapy sector expressed by seven new centres (and two which received health resort status) opened in 2006-2012. One may estimate their total capacities as 7.45 MWth, and heat uses as 96.1 TJ/2012. In case of ten health resorts using geothermal water for curative treatments, these figures were estimated for 4.03 MWt, and 34.4 TJ/2012. Other minor uses comprised semi-technical wood drying and greenhousing, as well as heating up a football playground. These applications represented in total ca. 2 MWth, and 6.4 TJ/2012 of heat use. In case of geothermal heat pumps sector, some faster growth has been observed in last two years. One may roughly estimate that in 2012 they reached at least 330 MWth of capacity and 1700 TJ of heat. In 2012 total installed geothermal capacity (heat pumps including) was at least 445.38 MWth while heat sales/uses 2370.56 TJ (comparing to 281 MWth and 1501 TJ /2008 (K.pi.ska 2010). In 2010-2012 twelve new geothermal wells were drilled. They will produce ca. 28-80oC waters for bathing/recreation purposes and for space heating in some cases. The investments were accompanied by research, technical works, feasibility studies, several projects of new drillings and implementation projects for public and private entities. Like in other countries, some R&D works on prospects for geothermal binary power generation (based on at least 90-100oC water) and on HDR/EGS prospects were ongoing. As the most prospective for further geothermal development one shall indicate space heating (multipurposed, hybrid systems), recreation, bathing and heat pumps sector. However. comparing with the geothermal resource base and progress in RES sector as a whole. geothermal uses development has been slow so far, specially in the heating sector. |