Exploration of Geothermal Resources, Spas, Green housing, and Energy Production

What is Geothermal Energy?

Geothermal resources are hot water, steam, and dry steam formed by the accumulation of heat energy trapped within rocks in the depths of the Earth, which is then transported by fluids and stored in reservoirs. Geothermal energy is a new, renewable, sustainable, inexhaustible, cheap, reliable green primary energy source. In hot dry rocks without water, there is a geothermal energy source.

Geothermal energy is usually obtained from waters surfacing through cracks and fractures that reach from the interior of the Earth to the surface or from specially drilled wells.

Geothermal resources have 3 important components;

1. Heat source; the region where geothermal energy is produced.
2. The fluid that carries heat from the underground to the surface; in geothermal energy systems, it's the fluid that takes on the energy from the geothermal heat source and facilitates work production from the turbine.
3. Rock permeability sufficient for the circulation of water; the area must be suitable for drilling to reach the heat source.

Where is Geothermal Energy Used?

Geothermal energy can be used for seven different purposes. These are;

• Electric Power Production: Economically viable at temperatures of 130°C and above.
• Climate Control (Heating, Cooling): Buildings, Cities, Greenhousing, etc.
• Industrial use: Heating, drying, cooking, etc.
• Chemical production: Dry ice production (CO2),Li, Various salts, H2, Heavy water, Boric Acid, Ammonium bicarbonate production, and fertilizers, etc.
• Spa use (Thermal Tourism): Ideal temperature for balneology is between 36-45°C.
• Aquaculture
• Use as mineral water
• Integrated Use: Joint utilization according to physical and chemical properties is called integrated applications. The most suitable form of use in terms of energy efficiency is the integrated use of energy.

How is Geothermal Energy Used in Turkey?

Due to its geological and geographical position, Turkey is located on an active tectonic belt, which places it in a rich position among the world countries in terms of geothermal resources. There are approximately 1,000 geothermal resources of various temperatures spread across the country in the form of natural outlets.

According to the data of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR),Turkey ranks first among European countries with an installed geothermal power plant capacity of 1,283 MW. In the world, Turkey is in the fourth place.

Turkey's geothermal potential is quite high, with 78% of the potential areas located in Western Anatolia, 9% in Central Anatolia, 7% in the Marmara Region, 5% in Eastern Anatolia, and 1% in other regions.

Characteristics and Advantages of Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy is among the types of energy that has been spreading rapidly in our country recently. It is among the most preferred energy sources due to its harmlessness to nature and humans, as well as its low cost.

Geothermal energy has many advantages. Especially the cost-effectiveness of geothermal energy is among the reasons for its preference. To utilize geothermal energy, it is necessary to drill down to approximately 1.5 km below the surface. Then, through the desire of hot air to pass to the cooler side, this energy source is obtained.

As for the advantages of geothermal energy,

• It is a renewable and clean energy source.
• It can be used in residences, agriculture, industry, and thermal applications such as greenhouse heating because it causes almost zero emissions.
• It is not affected by meteorological events such as wind, rain, or sun.
• Obtaining geothermal energy is cheap and reliable. Moreover, unlike other energy sources, it requires less facility space.
• It does not cause problems such as transportation of diesel, coal, and wood.
• It does not lead to fossil fuel consumption during production.

What is the Installed Geothermal Energy Capacity in the World?

The top five countries in electricity generation from geothermal energy are the USA, France, Indonesia, Turkey, and New Zealand. Non-electric use is 70,329 MWt, and the top five countries in direct use applications in the World are the USA, China, Sweden, Belarus, and Norway.

The installed geothermal energy capacity in the world according to 2018 data is 14.369 GWe. The top five countries in electricity generation from geothermal energy are the USA, the Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey, and New Zealand. The non-electric use has exceeded 70,000 MWt, and the top five countries in direct use applications in the world are the USA, China, Sweden, Belarus, and Norway.