| Abstract |
Poland has low-temperature geothermal resources, which have been used in hydrogeothermal systems to produce thermal energy since the 1990s. Geothermal heat plants currently operate in only 7 towns, and although the current system of government support gives hope for the construction of new geothermal heat plants in the coming years, the use of this renewable and environmentally friendly energy source is still at a low level in Poland. In order to increase the share of geothermal energy in the country's energy balance, numerous research works are being carried out to develop this sector in Poland. In recent years, research related to the recognition of the potential use of hot dry rocks in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) has become increasingly important. These systems allow the production of both thermal and electrical energy under conditions of low-permeability and porosity of rocks, which definitely is not suitable for hydrogeothermal systems. In Poland, locations suitable for the construction of EGS have been selected. EGS mostly use water as a medium, but following the example of other countries, the effectiveness of using carbon dioxide, was also analyzed. This was possible due to Polish-Norwegian cooperation under the EnerGizerS project, aimed at identifying and characterizing in detail the geological structures for locating CO2-EGS in Poland and Norway, combining the requirements of Enhanced Geothermal System technology and geological storage of carbon dioxide.The development of innovative geothermal technologies, including Enhanced Geothermal Systems using supercritical carbon dioxide as the working medium, is of particular importance wherever there are resource limitations to the wider use of geothermal energy in classical hydrogeothermal systems. Many Polish cities still face the problem of air pollution, especially during the winter months. The problem of smog and low emissions resulting from the burning of solid fuels is significant. For this reason, it is necessary to look for solutions to produce energy in an environmentally friendly way, which is possible due to the efficient use of geothermal energy. This paper presents the results of research on the effectiveness of using EGS in Poland. Legal and environmental aspects are indicated for the construction of a pilot EGS in Poland located in the region of western Poland (Gorzow Block) using a petrothermal reservoir built from Lower Permian volcanic and sedimentary rocks with temperatures of 145°C at a depth of about 4.3 km bgl. Acknowledgement: Research project supported by program Excellence initiative – research university for the AGH University of Krakow. The research leading to these results has received funding from the Norway Grants 2014–2021 via the National Centre for Research and Development. |