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Turkey’s quest to replace fossil fuels with renewables is slowly bearing fruit as efforts to harness power from a newly launched high temperature geothermal field in the Aegean province of Manisa begin. The Kavaklidere Ornekkoy field holds Turkey’s highest temperature geothermal resources, as exploration by the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) suggests. With temperatures reaching 287 degrees Celsius, it is also the world’s 4th geothermal field on the temperature scale, capable of producing 100 million kWh of electricity annually and heating some 7,000 homes. The field is expected to cut USD 40 million from Turkey’s costly energy imports.

“Turkey benefits from its geothermal resources in tourism, as well as in power generation,” said Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz in the launching ceremony for the Kavaklidere geothermal field.

“The latest investments in geothermal fields have attracted three million visitors to thermal facilities. We expect the trend to continuously increase in the future,” said Yildiz about SPA facilities popular for treatment and leisure purposes.

“Turkey’s energy production from geothermal resources currently stands at 95 MW” the Minister went on. “There are ongoing investments in 11 fields for electricity production. By 2023, Turkey intends to have an installed capacity of 600 MW generated from geothermal resources,” he added. Turkey tendered three geothermal fields for USD 95 million last year, with 29 more on the way.

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Hot Rock (ASX: HRL) has achieved a maiden geothermal resource of 7,400 petajoules (PJ) at its 100%-owned Calerias geothermal project in Chile, equivalent to 185 megawatts (MWe) of electrical power generation over a period of 30 years.

The assessment was undertaken within the company and has been reviewed independently by Dr Subir Sanyal of GeothermEx, an international expert in geothermal resource and reserve estimation.

The resource follows the completion of geological, geochemical and geophysical studies at the project located 100 kilometres south-east of Santiago, and is sufficient to meet the needs of more than 250,000 Chilean households.

The Resource area remains open with strong indications for a significant extension and a drill program is planned for early 2012.

Dr Mark Elliott, Hot Rock's executive chairman, said “this is a very significant milestone, positioning the Calerias project as our most advanced in the burgeoning, Chilean geothermal sector.

“Chile is one of the best regions in which to advance geothermal projects today. The country has some of the best volcanic geology suited for geothermal energy in the world, yet the sector is still in its infancy. Chile also has a very stable, pro-development government providing excellent incentives to new geothermal companies.”

Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, has the highest power costs in South America. Due to increasing energy demand and drought, the country has suffered power shortages for several years. As a result there is potential to establish geothermal power in the country.

Hot Rock has had an on-the-ground presence in Chile since 2009 and its early mover advantage has allowed the company to cherry pick several prime tenements, well before the recent pegging rush by the other major geothermal companies. Hot Rock now holds the largest geothermal land package in Chile.

“Calerias is very prospective, being located near a volcanic centre providing heat. The project is also strategically located close to existing transmission grid inter-connection points with direct access to the large urban electricity market in Santiago and private customers such as the nearby El Teniente mine, the largest underground copper mine in the world," Elliott added.

With a maiden resource now defined, Hot Rock will now fast track activities at Calerias with a view to start drilling by early 2012, upgrading the reservoir to a Measured Geothermal Resource suitable to commence a Bankable Feasibility Study.

A maiden resource assessment is nearing completion at Hot Rock’s next most advanced project, Longavi (100%-owned). Longavi is located 300 kilometres south of Santiago, close to transmission grid and markets.

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Special to The Japan Times

Current Status: Eighteen geothermal plants generated just 0.24 percent of Japan's electricity in 2009. Japan has the eighth-highest installed geothermal capacity in the world, with a capacity of 535 MW, and it is the top producer of geothermal turbines.

Potential: Hot-spring-rich Japan, located on the volcanically active Pacific "Ring of Fire," has 33,600 MW of potential geothermal resources, according to an Environment Ministry study. However, most hot spots are in national parks, where regulations rule out development. Even so, the study estimates that 9,800 MW could be developed, and the ministry recently announced it may loosen restrictions to open up more sites.

Considering economic considerations and the 10-year time lag to build a new plant, however, Isao Matsunaga, president of the Geothermal Research Society of Japan, said that just 500 MW could realistically be running by 2020. That's the equivalent of half the capacity of one nuclear reactor.

How it works: Naturally occurring radioactive materials continuously produce heat beneath the Earth's surface. Water that filters into permeable rocks is turned to steam or is superheated by this energy (think hot springs), and can be used to spin a turbine.

To build a geothermal plant, a hole is drilled and a pipe inserted up to 3 km below the surface at a promising site. Where the underground rocks are very hot, steam rises through the pipe, turns a turbine, and is then returned to the Earth via another pipe (most Japanese plants use this system). Where hot water rather than steam is available, steam can be produced by reducing the water pressure. Still cooler water can be used to heat another liquid with a lower boiling point (such as butane), which produces steam. Newer technology called Enhanced Geothermal Systems could eventually tap the vast amount of heat in less-permeable hot rocks deeper below the Earth's surface.

Analysis: Geothermal plants provide greenhouse-gas-free electricity around the clock, rain or shine — and Japan has both geothermal resources and the technology to develop them. Yet a new plant hasn't been built since 2006's geothermal add-on to Kyushu's existing Hachobaru Power Station.

One reason is the high (and highly variable) cost of exploration and plant construction. While geothermal electricity becomes competitive with conventional electricity once construction costs are paid off, it can initially be two to three times more expensive to produce, according to the Geothermal Research Society's Matsunaga. The Japanese government heavily supported plant construction following the 1973 oil shock. However, support tapered off in the '90s, electricity prices fell, and construction ground to a halt.

Some communities oppose geothermal power plants because they fear they will destroy local hot springs. Matsunaga says that's never happened in Japan, because hot water is pumped back underground after use. But he admits that long-term environmental effects can't be predicted.

Unattributed statistics in this article are from the "Renewables Japan Status Report" (2011), published by the Japan Renewable Energy Policy Platform; "Geothermal Energy: International Market Update" (2010), published by the Geothermal Energy Association; the Environment Ministry's "Study of Potential for the Introduction of Renewable Energy" (2010); and the Geothermal Research Society of Japan.

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By WINIFRED BIRD, Sunday, July 24, 2011