Ecological and economic evaluation of development technology of Kumuhsky deposit of thermal waters

Abstract

An ecological and economic assessment of the Kumukh thermal water field development based on a binary geothermal power plant was carried out. To show the prospects and the possibility of increasing the energy efficiency of a binary geothermal power plant at different temperatures of the injected coolant. Using a specific thermal water field as an example, the primary circuit technological parameters of a geothermal power plant were optimized, and its energy efficiency was evaluated in subcritical and supercritical organic Rankine cycles. It is shown that optimization allows to significantly improve the efficiency of energy cycles in the field, and the utilization of low-potential energy of spent brines in heat pump plants allows saving substitute fossil fuels. The analysis shows that the creation of integrated technologies for the field high-potential mineralized geothermal resources’ development will significantly improve the region’s economic structure and environmental situation. The creation of a binary geothermal power station at the Kumukh thermal water field will allow obtaining relatively cheap, environmentally-friendly electric energy with a capacity of up to 15 MW, and 2-3 MW of usable thermal power in heat pump installations, with an annual output of 135 · 106 kW · h of electric energy (more than 350 million rubles/year) and the annual savings of replacement fossil fuel more than 4000 tif. in a year.