| Title | Country Update Report on Geothermal Development and Utilization in Korea |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yoonho Song, Tae Jong Lee |
| Year | 2011 |
| Conference | Asian Geothermal Symposium |
| Keywords | geothermal heat pump (GHP), enhanced geothermal system (EGS), direct use, power generation, EGS potential |
| Abstract | Geothermal utilization in Korea has been direct use, especially with geothermal heat pump (GHP) installation, because there is no high temperature resources associated with active volcano or tectonic activity. Total installed capacity for direct use is estimated 262.36 MWt at the end of 2010, most of which is for GHP installation followed by hot spring usage. GHP installation in Korea has increased more than 50% annually for the last five years and total installed capacity exceeded 200 MWt in 2010. This rapid increase was possible thanks to active government support programs and legislation and we expect it will continue to increase at least for the next five years. An EGS potential assessment was made following a recently announced protocol. Theoretical potential for EGS power generation in the depth range 3-10 km was estimated 6,975 GWe which is 92 times of total power generation capacity in 2010. Technical potential considering depth limit, land accessibility, recovery factor and temperature drawdown factor reaches 19.6 GWe. Increasing interests in geothermal power generation has resulted in launching the first EGS pilot plant project at the end of 2010. It is a five-year term, government funded and industry matching project and the target area is Pohang field of higher heat flow in south-eastern part of Korean Peninsula. The project consists of two phases: I) site characterization, drilling down to a 3 km deep well and to confirm the temperature higher than 100 C in two years, and II) extending the 3 km deep well down to 5 km to make it injection well, hydraulic stimulation and reservoir creation, drilling production well of 5 km and completing doublet system, and installing 1.5 MW binary power plant in another three years. |