Overview of Kizildere Geothermal Power Plant in Turkey

Abstract

Achieving sustainable development is a target that is now widely seen as important in worldwide public opinion. In this context, the utilization of renewable energy resources such as solar, geothermal and wind energy appears to be one of the most efficient and effective ways of achieving this target. Recently, power generation from geothermal energy has become of big importance in Turkey, which is located on the Mediterranean sector of the Alpine-Himalayan Tectonic Belt and is among the first seven countries in abundance of geothermal resources around the world. The main objective in doing the present study is twofold, namely: (a) to investigate Turkey's geothermal energy potential for power generation and (b) to overview the Denizli-Kizildere geothermal power plant (DKGPP) with an installed capacity of 20.4 MWe, which is at present the only operating geothermal power plant of Turkey. Based on the drilling data, which have been gathered to date, Turkey's geothermal energy potential for power generation is determined to be 764.81 MWe. Electricity generation projections of Turkey are also 500 MWe from Germencik, Kizildere, Tuzla and several of the other fields by the year 2010 and 1000 MWe by 2020. The Denizli-Kizildere geothermal field has an estimated capacity of 200 MWe. The DKGPP was put into operation in 1984 and has been operated since then. It produced an electrical energy of 89,597 MWh in 2001, representing an electric power of 10.6 MWe in the same year. Present applications have shown that in Turkey, geothermal energy is a promising alternative and can make a significant contribution towards reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. As the public recognizes the projects, the progress will continue.