| Abstract |
Geothermal energy production is a traditional energy service in Hungary. The oldest operating thermal well that was drilled for energy production purposes is 130 years old. In the country the oldest geothermal based operating district heating system in the town of Szentes is more than 50 years old. Direct heat utilization has been widely applied in Hungary. Unfortunately, a high proportion of the operating systems was set into operation during the past century, and most of them are operated on a less environmentally sound basis by not re-injecting the water. Less than 5% of the produced thermal water is re-injected and some part of the injected water not into its original formation. Energy efficiency is rather low. The National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) sets ambitious objectives. The geothermal based direct heat utilization is planned to be increased by 3.88 times higher between 2010 and 2020 (Kujbus, 2012). However, the operating system is to be refurbished as well. The modernization process can be launched into three directions. The first one is the increasing of energy efficiency. It includes a kind of energy rationalization when the produced water flow rate is not increased but the temperature step between the production well-head and the end of system is more efficiently exploited. Where temperature is high enough between the production well-head and the original heat consumer, a low enthalpy micro electricity generation block is recommended to evaluate. Between the original heat consumer and the end of the system a heat pump system can utilize the presently wasted heat energy. It is important to make a closed system, which allows this process to operate in a clean and sustainable form. The second direction focuses on the growth. In order to achieve the objectives of the NREAP more than 100 new geothermal sites are to be established and at least 50 old ones are to be renovated by reservoir reevaluation, well cleaning, and well work-over. The seasonal energy management is becoming more and more important, because the demand for cooling is continuously increasing. The third direction is the deepening of re-injection wells. More than 500 thermal water production wells and only 33 re-injection wells are operating with energy production purposes. Wise planning is necessary, and through 100 – 150 re-injection wells a huge majority of the produced thermal water would be re-injected. In this program a widespread R&D&I and rethinking of the regulatory system is required. All these innovation processes need support from the State. Project supports and preferential loans are required. However, all these projects can be made profitable. Energy rationalization projects will produce both electricity and heat energy that formerly was wasted. Growth projects will exploit more efficiently the known and utilized reservoirs. The reinjection projects will ensure sustainability. The producers will not need to pay water utilization fees and environmental penalty, which makes the reinjection well projects also profitable in the long term. In the first phase successful demonstration projects (mainly from a financial point of view) are needed. They would be followed by a large number of projects. |