Geothermal resources in Egypt integrated with GIS-based analysis

Abstract

The energy of Egypt is generally derived from petroleum products. However, advancements in the development of the generation capacity using sustainable and renewable resources, for example, solar, wind and geothermal resources and investment in nuclear power plants are planned. The geology and structure setting of Egypt affirms that reasonable geothermal resources are available, particularly along the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea, the Western Desert and parts of the Nile Valley. The main objective of this research is to develop a geothermal favourability map of Egypt, which may be considered as a screening tool for the assessment of optimal areas for geothermal development. Digital data layers and maps were employed in a GIS model to select the most promising areas for geothermal potentiality. The ArcGIS model includes six thematic layers: distance to faults, Bouguer anomaly, distance to seismic activity, Curie depth, heat flow, and temperatures at different depths. The validation of the generated geothermal favourability map was performed by a comparison with thermal water wells and hot springs. Generally, the most encouraging zones for geothermal probability in Egypt are located near the shorelines of the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea.