The first geothermal power plant near the city of Meshkinshahr in northwest Ardebil Province will come on stream by June, the Ardebil governor said.
Costing $9 million, the plant has a capacity of 50 megawatts but only “its first phase with 5 MW capacity is ready for operation,” IRNA quoted Akbar Behnamju as saying.
“Construction of the transmission line to link the geothermal plant to Meshkinshahr is over and the plant will be inaugurated next month,” he added.
Geothermal power is a renewable energy because its source is the unlimited amount of heat generated by the Earth's core.
Eleven wells have been drilled at the site near Meshkinshahr at a depth of up to 3,200 meters, seven of which will be used to generate electricity in the first phase, the governor noted.
At a geothermal power plant, wells are drilled between 1,500 and 3,500 meters deep into the Earth to pump steam or hot water to the surface. When the water reaches the surface, the pressure drops, which causes the water to turn into steam. The steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces power.
The geothermal power plant in Meshkinshahr is located on the foot of the Sabalan Mountain. According to reports and based on discoveries made in the region, there is a potential to produce a minimum of 50 MW and a maximum of 500 MW of electricity around Sabalan, an inactive stratovolcano.
The plant in Meshkinshahr will be expanded to supply regions in the northwestern Ardebil Province for domestic and industrial use.
The advantages of a geothermal plant compared to other renewable plants is that geothermal power plants generate electricity 24 hours a day irrespective of weather conditions, which results in greater stability and higher efficiency.
Besides producing electricity, the heat generated by such plants is used in industries and for heating.
Unlike thermal units that use fossil fuel, geothermal plants produce little emission. Carbon emission from geothermal power stations is less than 5% of conventional coal-fired plants.
Using geothermal also eliminates the need for mining, processing, and transportation required for electricity generation from fossil fuel.
Geothermal reservoirs are replenished naturally and have massive potential for power generation. Iceland, the US, the Philippines, Japan, Germany, Turkey and New Zealand are among countries generating power from geothermal resources.
Market Growth
High capacity of geothermal power coupled with its cost-effectiveness is significantly driving the demand for geothermal power across the globe which is bolstering the market growth. However, factors such as high investment required for geothermal power plants and negative impact of geothermal energy on the environment are hampering the growth of geothermal power market. The presence of other viable renewable energy alternatives, especially solar, is also hindering the use of geothermal to generate electricity.
A new analysis by the energy research and business intelligence company Rystad Energy, suggests that global geothermal energy capacity will expand from 16 gigawatts at the end of 2020 to 24 GW in 2025.
According to Rystad Energy, global geothermal power production capacity will rise due to the worldwide energy transition unlocking a total investment of $25 billion in the next five years.
A total of $40 billion has been invested in new geothermal energy developments from 2010 to 2020 across the globe.
Rystad Energy suggests the US dominates installed geothermal capacity with 4 GW, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey and Italy.
Germany has 37 operational geothermal power plants, mostly in Bavaria and has unveiled plans for another 16 power and heating plants to be completed in the following years.
