| Authors |
Arrizabalaga, I., De Gregorio, M., García de la Noceda, C., Hidalgo, R. and Urchueguía, J. |
| Abstract |
Spain geothermal resources potential is very high. An adequate harnessing through proper development initiatives can take it to similar usage of other European nations. Nonetheless, geothermal energy in Spain still shows a very low penetration despite its great potential. At present, there are no power generation geothermal plants in Spain. Business initiatives however, have shown a growing interest in developing this type of projects in the short and medium term. It means geothermal energy could show clear opportunities for development in our country according Spain’s geological setting, particularly suitable for the development of EGS type projects. Despite this, the development of deep geothermal energy projects in our country clearly lags behind what is taking place in this field in our surroundings as a result of the current situation of the Spanish electricity sector. The indefinite moratorium that was decreed for all types of renewable energy in addition to the 7% tax imposed on the value of electric energy production in all types of power stations, including renewables, are unfortunately slowing down the momentum gained by these types of projects. With regard to low-temperature geothermal energy, Spain’s current installed capacity (built during the 80’s) is associated with direct heat applications, mainly for spas and greenhouses. Future estimates indicate that this type of applications will not experience any further increase. In addition, it is estimated that from 2015 onwards, several heating and cooling network projects (known as geothermal district cooling and heating) may be launched. On the other hand, shallow or very low temperature geothermal energy used in cooling and heating is already a reality in our country. Although no definite data are available on the installed capacity of geothermal energy in Spain, estimates of 150 MWt have been reported, allowing the progressive development in parallel of a new industry in this sector. At present, and despite the contraction experienced by the construction sector, the expected evolution of energy prices in the coming years is continuously fueling the growth in the number of very low temperature geothermal installations both in the residential and institutional fields, as well as in the creation of an emerging market where shallow, or very low temperature geothermal energy, can be used for heating and cooling and DHW. It is worth noting that building (energy efficiency improvement) rehabilitation may play an important role in this respect. |