Povilanskas, R., Satkūnas, J., Jurkus, E.
Conditions for deep geothermal energy utilisation in
southwest Latvia: Nīca case study
This paper focuses on the deep geothermal energy utilisation
from the Lower Cambrian sandy siltstone aquifer as a potential supply to the
district heating system in Nīca, a small municipality in southwest Latvia.
Based on this case study, we argue that it is technically and economically
feasible to develop efficient geothermal heat stations in small municipalities
rich in geothermal resources under three key preconditions: -sufficient
extractable heat resources of the aquifer; - ready availability of a nearby
deep well; and – a plan for environmentally acceptable disposal of the cooled
geothermal water to the surface waters. If these conditions are met, the deep
geothermal energy utilisation in a small-scale district heating system might be
economically viable and possibly more sustainable than a larger district
heating system, where high-pressure re-injection of the cooled geothermal water
into deep rock aquifers is necessary.