The Bad Blumau geothermal project: a low temperature, sustainable and environmentally benign power plant

Abstract

The 250 kW geothermal project at Bad Blumau is the first geothermal project developed in Austria by the private sector following the deregulation of the electricity industry in this country. What makes the project unique besides its private ownership structure is its ability to generate electrical power and district heating for the Rogner Bad Blumau Hotel & Spa by using a low temperature geothermal resource. Installed in the record time of less than a week, the air-cooled ORMAT ® Energy Converter (OEC) CHP module has been in commercial operation since July 2001. With an annual availability exceeding 99%, between October 2001 and December 2002 the plant delivered 1,560,000 kWh to the local grid. The geothermal CHP module utilizes brine at ∼110 °C, available from a 3000 m deep production well. Exiting the OEC unit at a temperature of ∼85 °C, the brine is then fed into the district heating system, providing heat for the Rogner Bad Blumau Hotel & Spa. The geothermal brine is returned from the district heating system and injected into a 3000 m depth reinjection well. The system is a pollution-free, unattended operating power generation module, which has avoided more than 1100 kg of CO 2 emissions over its first operating year.