| Abstract |
The paper overviews the geothermal energy uses’ development in Poland in 2010-2014 since the update report submitted to World Geothermal Congress 2010 (Kepinska 2010). The geothermal capacities and heat production are given as for 2013. The country has low-temperature resources therefore their current and prospective applications involve direct uses for heating (deep, shallow geothermal), bathing&swimming, and some other uses. In case of heating sector six geothermal district heating plants were operational in 2013 (the oldest one in the Podhale region since 1994; the most recent one in Poddebice since 2013). In addition, individual heating systems were in some recreation centers. In 2013 their total installed geothermal capacity was ca. 87.2 MWth and heat sales ca. 633 TJ (peak boilers including it was ca. 147.1 MWth and 745.56 TJ, respectively). Most geothermal heat was produced by the Podhale plant: 300.27 TJ/2013 – one of the largest geothermal district heating plants in continental Europe. In 2013 eleven spas (with formal status of health resorts) using geothermal water for curing were operating (three most recent among them started to apply geothermal waters in 2011, 2012 and 2014). Nine geothermal recreation and balneotherapy centers were on-line (launched in 2006–2014, including four ones opened since 2010). One may estimate their total capacities for at least 10.34 MWth and heat uses for at least 100.4 TJ in 2013. Other minor uses comprised semi-technical wood drying (some 0.3 MWth, 0.5 TJ/2013) and heating up of a football playground and walking path (ca. 1 MWth and 8.7 TJ/2013 of heat use). Referring to geothermal heat pumps sector (“shallow geothermal”) some faster growth has been observed in recent years. In 2013 they reached at least 390 MWth of capacity and 2000 TJ of heat (while the number of installations was at least 35 000). To sum up all direct uses – in 2013 total installed geothermal capacities (heat pumps including) were at least 488.84 MWth and heat sales/uses were at least 2742.6 TJ. In 2010–2014 thirteen new geothermal wells were drilled. They will produce ca. 28–85ºC waters for bathing and recreation mostly and for space heating in some cases. The investments were accompanied by research, feasibility studies, some new investment projects. Like in other countries, some R&D works on prospects for geothermal binary power&heat generation (based on ca. 90–120ºC water) and on HDR/EGS were conducted. As the most prospective for further geothermal development one shall indicate space heating, bathing/recreation, and heat pumps sectors. However – comparing with the geothermal resource base and progress in RES sector as a whole – geothermal heating development has been very slow so far. This situation is caused, to great extent, by a minor role allocated for geothermal in national energy policy, National Renewable Energy Action Plan, as well as lack of adequate public support (specially for drillings), no geological risk guarantee fund and minor role in other official documents (e.g. project of RES Law). These constraints resulted in the fact that prevailing part of new geothermal utilities in 2010–2014 was for bathing/recreation (private investment mostly) and only one new project oriented for district heating was realized. |