The company Bleninser has sent a press release to EnergyNews announcing its partnership with the company Ciclo Binario for the construction of the first high temperature geothermal energy plant in Spain. Located in the north of the Granada province, with a capacity of 10 MW, it will supply clean and renewable electricity to 5,000 homes. The type of system chosen is the binary cycle or closed-loop thermal fluid, by which it will absorb geothermal underground energy and transform it into energy in a steam turbine. The other two high enthalpy geothermal sets, dry steam and aquifers have been ruled out at this time.
The binary cycle plants are more widespread today and those with further opportunities. U.S., Japan, Germany, Iceland and New Zealand, among others, are some of the countries with binary cycle plants.
The development of this plant will represent an investment of 30 million euros in the province. The execution period is expected to last two years and the plant operating lifespan is estimated at 30 years. In this Granada binary cycle plant, drilling for geothermal energy use will be made to 3,500 meters deep. Ciclo Binario currently has conducted conductivity tests in the area, at 600 meters obtaining satisfactory results. The main difference between the two types of geothermal energy is that up to 200 meters, energy for heating, cooling and hot domestic water can be obtained, while at greater depth it is possible to generate electricity.
Geothermal power uses the temperature difference between the underground and outside to generate power. A binary cycle plant exploits this gradient in the large scale. They work by circulating a thermal fluid in a closed
loop, that absorbs geothermal heat and therefore evaporates. This steam spins a turbine connected to an electricity generator. Then, the generated steam is condensed and, returned to the circuit through a feed pump.
Geothermal energy is highly clean, since no emissions are sent into the atmosphere thanks to the closed circuit that requires no combustion in the process. 1 kW installed geothermal energy is equivalent to planting 109 trees. In addition, geothermal technology is not new; The first binary cycle power plant was built in 1967 in Paratunka, in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
With more than 40 shallow geothermal energy projects in the pipeline, in residential and industrial, Bleninser started its activities in the field of high enthalpy geothermal energy.
“In Bleninser we have been thinking for a long time in exploiting the high enthalpy geothermal energy because generating electricity in a clean and renewable way is the future. Fossil fuels are increasingly expensive and limited. We need a firm commitment to renewables. ” said Antonio Martin, Bleninser CEO.
“The construction of this plant in Granada is an important step for Spain where so far, such plants did not exist. The high temperature geothermal energy has been developed over decades around the world “- said Ignacio Romero, manager of Ciclo Binario”
Bleninser is the first geothermal company in Spain and the first in Europe in drilling capacity. They were awarded the Best 2010 Residential Geothermal Installation prize and the 2011 First Honorable Mention from the Comunidad de Madrid.
