| Title | Geothermal potential estimation for Direct Uses in Peru |
|---|---|
| Authors | Victor Vargas, Jackeline Reyes, Paolo Bona |
| Year | 2023 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Geothermal, Peru, potential, direct uses |
| Abstract | This paper pursues to present the first estimate of the geothermal potential for direct uses in Peru and the opportunities for its use according to local economic contexts. Although geothermal energy has been studied in the country since the 1970s and has been used since the Inca period (1400), research has focused only on evaluating its use for electricity generation. However, we believe that research and future projects for the use of geothermal energy for heating, agriculture, industry, among other economic activities, represent a viable alternative for productive developments that are friendly to the environment, and focused on the local potentialities of the territory. Peru has a very interesting geological context. The presence of the Andes Mountain Range, resulting from the interaction of the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate, has controlled the geological evolution of the territory, from the Mesozoic era to the present. Likewise, several magmatic and tectonic processes have occurred over time that facilitates the development of geothermal regions in Peru, some of which have higher temperature resources and some evidence for high enthalpy, mainly in the south of the country. However, in most of the territory, geothermal resources are of medium and low enthalpy, suitable for the direct use of heat. To estimate the Geothermal Thermal Potential, the formula proposed by IGA was used and we consider the areas where there are geothermal manifestations at the surface. The data used came from the inventory of thermal and mineral springs published by the Peruvian Geological Survey, and for environmental data we used which was published by the National Meteorological Service. The data was analyzed and processed considering the information available. As a result, 297 thermal areas in the country were used to estimate the potential. The total country estimated was 2,000 MWt. Eje Volcánico Sur, in the south of the country, was the geothermal region with the highest potential with more than 700 MWt. Additionally, the paper includes information on the economic and social context related to each geothermal region, as a starting point for the evaluation of future direct use projects. Finally, we consider it necessary to deepen and update the estimate made to know in greater detail the true potential by geothermal region, a task that could be assumed with inter-institutional alliances between the State, academia, local governments, and private organizations. |