The construction of the 50-kW geothermal pilot plant started in early 2023. The plan was to utilize an existing non-productive gas well, Pg-8, to produce geothermal power. Rehabilitation of the well took longer than expected, thus adding to the delays of the project.
The pilot plant also served as test ground for a patented technology using a geothermal gravity heat pipe that produces sufficient heat flux for electricity generation at depths greater than two kilometers. Should the pilot prove successful, the technology can then be used for other abandoned gas wells in Slovenia and around the world.
It turned out that the thermal capacity of the well will not be sufficient to ensure the necessary flow of ammonia vapor to sustain the operation of the 50-kW pilot plant. The plan for the next steps will then be to find solutions that will enable more constant operation of the turbine under the given conditions.
DEM emphasizes that this is still a pilot project and no similar projects have been attempted before in Slovenia. This means that there are no prior examples or models for addressing such challenges.
“Despite some of the challenges we face in the geothermal power plant pilot project, I am proud that Dravske elektrarne Maribor, together with our partners, are plowing the fallow land in the field of using deep geothermal energy, and that we brought the project to the point where the first kilowatt hours of electricity were produced,” remarked M.Sc. Damjan Seme, general manager of DEM.
“I believe that by modifying the turbine part of the equipment, we will be able to establish a situation that will enable constant operation and production, and will be a good guide for the following projects of this type.”
