Greek Geothermal Update 2000-2004

Abstract

By the end of 2004 the installed thermal capacity of the direct geothermal uses in Greece amounted to roughly 75 MWt. Approximately, half of this capacity corresponds to thermal spas (in a few cases combined with space heating) and heating of open or closed pools. Two are the current trends of direct uses in Greece: the stagnation of greenhouse and soil heating (the latter showed a considerable increase in the previous five-year period) and the diversification of the uses. New uses include fish farming, spirulina growing and vegetable and fruit dehydration.
Earth-coupled and groundwater (or seawater) heat pumps have shown a significant increase in the past five years, but their market penetration is far away from the corresponding penetration in some central-northern European countries.
At present no electric power is produced from geothermal resources in Greece, despite the large high-enthalpy resources in the active Aegean volcanic arc. Moreover, in certain other areas (e.g. Lesvos, Chios and Samothraki Islands) organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plants could be installed.
The technical potential (the part corresponding to the existing wells) for direct geothermal uses in Greece exceeds 400 MWt and for electrical uses is about 10 MWe.