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Geothermal energy in the European economic community
0375- 6505/85 $3.00 + 0.00 Pergamon Press Ltd. © 1985 CNR.
Geothermics, Vol. 14, No. 5/6, pp. 609 - 611, 1985. Printed in Great Britain.
EDITORIAL GEOTHERMAL
E N E R G Y IN T H E E U R O P E A N COMMUNITY
ECONOMIC
Ten countries belong 0984) to the European Economic Community (Fig. l). Table 1 shows the population of these ten countries and their installed electric capacity.
Table 1. Population and electric power in the EEC countries
Belgium Denmark F.R.G. France Greece Ireland Italy Luxembourg The Netherlands U.K. Total
Population (millions)
Electric installed power* MW (1982)
I0 5 60 54 10 3 56 0.4 14 54
12,007 7897 85,672 73,811 5946 3494 49,496 1434 16,709 73,053
266.4
329,519
*Eurostat, Energy Statistics Yearbook 1982 (1984). Office for Publications of the European Communities, B.P. 1003, Luxembourg, p. 178.
The energy crisis has obviously encouraged all the member countries of the EEC to search for non-conventional sources of energy. The Community is, in fact, severely dependent on third countries for their energy supply: in 1982 the Community consumed 884 million oil equivalent tons (OET),* 46070 of which was imported (world-wide consumption during that year was 6.7 billion OET). Forty per cent of the entire EEC energy demand is in district heating, agriculture and industrial processing. As one of the non-conventional energy sources, geothermal energy could make a contribution to oil savings, especially in the direct use of geothermal heat for district heating, agriculture and industrial processes. Note that warm and quite large aquifers (30- 80°C) have been discovered in almost all the countries of the Community. Their utilization in the abovementioned sectors, which absorb about 40O7o of the entire Community energy demand, could lead to considerable savings in imported fuel.
*Eurostat, Energy Statistics Yearbook 1982 (1984). Office for Publications of the European Communities, B.P. 1003, Luxembourg, p. 178.
609
610
k'ctitorial
Fig. I. The European EconomicCommunity member states (1984). T H E EEC ACTIVITY IN THE G E O T H E R M A L SECTOR The EEC has promoted and financed geothermal research since 1975 in the form of: R & D programmes (1975 - 1983), with EEC support totalling 24 M U S $ (rate of exchange September 1984). Demonstration projects ( 1 9 7 9 - 1983), with EEC support totalling 32 M U S $ . The total financial support given by the EEC in the period 1975 - 1983 was, therefore, 56 M US$.
-
-
-
-
R & D programmes
The first R & D programme was launched in 1975 and completed in 1979. Its five targets were: compilation of an EEC inventory of geothermal data improvement of exploration methods utilization of hot water sources (low enthalpy) steam sources - - hot dry rocks (HDR). During this programme the Community signed 120 contracts on a cost-sharing basis with universities, research organizations, public and private industry. The financial contribution of the EEC amounted to 10 M U S $ . *
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-
-
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-
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*Strub, A. (1980) Opening address. Proc. 2rid Int. Seminar on the Results o f EC Geother. Energy Res., Strasbourg 4 - 6 March 1980. Reidel, Dordrecht, Holland.
Editorial
611
The second 1983. Its four - - geological, - - subsurface
R & D p r o g r a m m e began in 1979, after completion of the first, and ended in targets were: geophysical and geochemical investigations in selected EEC areas problems of hydrothermal resources - - s u r f a c e p r o b l e m s related to the use of hydrothermal r e s o u r c e s - - hot dry rocks. During this programme, the C o m m u n i t y signed 90 contracts with a financial support of 14 M US$.* The total EEC financial support for R & D from 1975 to 1983 was 24 M U S $ (September 1984).
Demonstration projects In 1979 the EEC began financing Demonstration Projects in the sector of geothermal energy. A Demonstration project is one that has already passed the research stage, but is held back by technical and economic problems. It must be on an industrial scale and economically viable. EEC support never exceeds 49°70 of the cost of the entire project and has been given essentially to drilling. A total of 164 proposals were received between 1979 and 1983 of which 78 were financed; the total cost of the accepted proposals was 332 M $ (September 1984) and E E C support was for 32 M$.t Fifty per cent of the EEC contribution must be paid back in a m a x i m u m of 8 years should the resource be successfully exploited. The financial support given to the 78 proposals was as follows: Domestic heating Electricity generation Greenhouses and other
22 million US$ 6 4
Total
32
At present a saving of 2 million O E T / y r throughout the EEC in non-electric uses seems a realistic target for the early 1990s. With regard to electricity generation, the only countries of the EEC with commercially viable resources by 1990 will probably be Italy and, to a lesser extent, Greece. The high-grade fuel saved at that point will amount to around 1 million O E T / y r .
E. Barbier Editor of Geothermics
*European Economic Community (1983) Introduction. 3rd Int. Seminar on the Results o f EC R & D Projects in the Field o f Geothermal Energy, Munich, 29 November- 1 December 1983. Report EUR 8853EN (extended summaries). #Gerini, G. (1984) The demonstration projects of the European Communities in the field of geothermal energy, Seminar on the Utilization o f Geothermal Energy for Electric Power Production and Space Heating, Florence 14 - 17 May 1984. Also Geothermics 14, 477-485.
Geothermics, Vol. 14, No. 5/6, pp. 609 - 611, 1985. Printed in Great Britain.
EDITORIAL GEOTHERMAL
E N E R G Y IN T H E E U R O P E A N COMMUNITY
ECONOMIC
Ten countries belong 0984) to the European Economic Community (Fig. l). Table 1 shows the population of these ten countries and their installed electric capacity.
Table 1. Population and electric power in the EEC countries
Belgium Denmark F.R.G. France Greece Ireland Italy Luxembourg The Netherlands U.K. Total
Population (millions)
Electric installed power* MW (1982)
I0 5 60 54 10 3 56 0.4 14 54
12,007 7897 85,672 73,811 5946 3494 49,496 1434 16,709 73,053
266.4
329,519
*Eurostat, Energy Statistics Yearbook 1982 (1984). Office for Publications of the European Communities, B.P. 1003, Luxembourg, p. 178.
The energy crisis has obviously encouraged all the member countries of the EEC to search for non-conventional sources of energy. The Community is, in fact, severely dependent on third countries for their energy supply: in 1982 the Community consumed 884 million oil equivalent tons (OET),* 46070 of which was imported (world-wide consumption during that year was 6.7 billion OET). Forty per cent of the entire EEC energy demand is in district heating, agriculture and industrial processing. As one of the non-conventional energy sources, geothermal energy could make a contribution to oil savings, especially in the direct use of geothermal heat for district heating, agriculture and industrial processes. Note that warm and quite large aquifers (30- 80°C) have been discovered in almost all the countries of the Community. Their utilization in the abovementioned sectors, which absorb about 40O7o of the entire Community energy demand, could lead to considerable savings in imported fuel.
*Eurostat, Energy Statistics Yearbook 1982 (1984). Office for Publications of the European Communities, B.P. 1003, Luxembourg, p. 178.
609
610
k'ctitorial
Fig. I. The European EconomicCommunity member states (1984). T H E EEC ACTIVITY IN THE G E O T H E R M A L SECTOR The EEC has promoted and financed geothermal research since 1975 in the form of: R & D programmes (1975 - 1983), with EEC support totalling 24 M U S $ (rate of exchange September 1984). Demonstration projects ( 1 9 7 9 - 1983), with EEC support totalling 32 M U S $ . The total financial support given by the EEC in the period 1975 - 1983 was, therefore, 56 M US$.
-
-
-
-
R & D programmes
The first R & D programme was launched in 1975 and completed in 1979. Its five targets were: compilation of an EEC inventory of geothermal data improvement of exploration methods utilization of hot water sources (low enthalpy) steam sources - - hot dry rocks (HDR). During this programme the Community signed 120 contracts on a cost-sharing basis with universities, research organizations, public and private industry. The financial contribution of the EEC amounted to 10 M U S $ . *
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
*Strub, A. (1980) Opening address. Proc. 2rid Int. Seminar on the Results o f EC Geother. Energy Res., Strasbourg 4 - 6 March 1980. Reidel, Dordrecht, Holland.
Editorial
611
The second 1983. Its four - - geological, - - subsurface
R & D p r o g r a m m e began in 1979, after completion of the first, and ended in targets were: geophysical and geochemical investigations in selected EEC areas problems of hydrothermal resources - - s u r f a c e p r o b l e m s related to the use of hydrothermal r e s o u r c e s - - hot dry rocks. During this programme, the C o m m u n i t y signed 90 contracts with a financial support of 14 M US$.* The total EEC financial support for R & D from 1975 to 1983 was 24 M U S $ (September 1984).
Demonstration projects In 1979 the EEC began financing Demonstration Projects in the sector of geothermal energy. A Demonstration project is one that has already passed the research stage, but is held back by technical and economic problems. It must be on an industrial scale and economically viable. EEC support never exceeds 49°70 of the cost of the entire project and has been given essentially to drilling. A total of 164 proposals were received between 1979 and 1983 of which 78 were financed; the total cost of the accepted proposals was 332 M $ (September 1984) and E E C support was for 32 M$.t Fifty per cent of the EEC contribution must be paid back in a m a x i m u m of 8 years should the resource be successfully exploited. The financial support given to the 78 proposals was as follows: Domestic heating Electricity generation Greenhouses and other
22 million US$ 6 4
Total
32
At present a saving of 2 million O E T / y r throughout the EEC in non-electric uses seems a realistic target for the early 1990s. With regard to electricity generation, the only countries of the EEC with commercially viable resources by 1990 will probably be Italy and, to a lesser extent, Greece. The high-grade fuel saved at that point will amount to around 1 million O E T / y r .
E. Barbier Editor of Geothermics
*European Economic Community (1983) Introduction. 3rd Int. Seminar on the Results o f EC R & D Projects in the Field o f Geothermal Energy, Munich, 29 November- 1 December 1983. Report EUR 8853EN (extended summaries). #Gerini, G. (1984) The demonstration projects of the European Communities in the field of geothermal energy, Seminar on the Utilization o f Geothermal Energy for Electric Power Production and Space Heating, Florence 14 - 17 May 1984. Also Geothermics 14, 477-485.