| Abstract |
In spring 2004, geothermal well Be-2/03 has been drilled in the Benedikt place, Benedikt Municipality, north-eastern Slovenia. Two thermal aquifers were tapped: the first one at a depth of 1492 m having lower yield, and the second one at depths from 1848 m and 1857 m, respectively, where the well terminated. The Na-HCO3 dominated water is classified as a CO2-rich healing mineral water suitable for drinking, bottling and balneology. The free degassing gas is almost pure CO2 (99.9 %). The major ion composition is dominated by sodium (1750 ppm) and by bicarbonate (4700 ppm). Owing to very high investment costs that could not be carried by the municipality itself, and very poor engagement of the responsible governmental institutions, the municipality council decided in the beginning of the year 2006 to make a contract with the company Gejzir Consulting from Ljubljana. The Benedikt Municipality is the well owner and ensured an uptake of 5 liter/sec of thermal water to Gejzir Consulting for construction of the first stage of district heating. The whole project of district heating is characterized by 3.3 MW power and annual production of 4200 MWh. The first stage is already built and put into testing operation. District heating encompasses public dwellings ? the municipality building, gymnasium, primary school and kindergarten that consume 20 % of total municipality consumption. Heat station has the power of 700 kW and is foreseen to produce 600 MWh annually. Gas separator and heat exchanger are located at the production well in order to simplify the system operation. Energetically used thermal water is cooled in a nearby temporary pool. The inflow of thermal water from the production well is regulated automatically with respect to the outflow temperature from the heat exchanger which is constant and amounts to 40 ?C. The water undergoes further cooling in the pool and has the temperature of less than 30 ?C when is disposed into a small creek. After the enlargement of district heating network and erection of a recreation center, energetically used thermal water will be supplied in the recreation center along with additional amounts of thermal water from the well, and the temporary cooling pool will not be needed any more. |