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Description
The aim of the proposed pilot project is to increase the production of renewable electricity by exploiting the geothermal potential available in Slovenia. This will be done with an innovative pilot project that will serve as a demonstration project of good practice and will increase the use of geothermal energy. The pilot is based on the use of a completely new method of electricity generation with a geothermal gravitational heat pipe (Slovenian patent SI 23618 A). A special feature of the use of a geothermal gravity heat pipe is in the closed refrigerant circuit, where only one dry well is required for operation. The power plant thus operates without gaseous in comparison with emissions from conventional binary geothermal power plants in the flow of aqueous fluid, where in addition to the pumping well, a reinjection well is required. The presented pilot project is planned in Čentiba, municipality of Lendava. It refers to the exploitation of an existing but abandoned Pg-8 well. The considered pilot geothermal power plant with a capacity of 50 kWe will be able to provide 400 MWhe per year for electricity production, and with a zero-carbon footprint, will contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions by 400.8 t/year.
The pilot project also contributes to the goal of strengthening new knowledge and capacities in the field of geothermal energy exploitation, both in Slovenia and at the wider European level, and represents an interesting demo concept for donor countries as well. The pilot provides a basis for existing and future partnerships that connect research findings with companies and organizations that can operationalize this knowledge to achieve the decarbonization goals.