Radiogenic Heat Production of Granites and Potential for Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Resource in Guangdong Province, China

Abstract

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) has been recognized by geothermal energy experts as being the necessary technology for substantially increasing the contribution of geothermal energy to the world’s production of electricity. As one of the largest energy consumption countries, China started a China Geological Survey sponsored project-Hot Dry Rock Investigation and EGS Pilot Project of China in 2013. As one of the project’s tasks, radiogenic heat production of granites in southeastern China is being systematically investigated. This paper presents the study of radiogenic heat generation caused by the decay of the unstable isotopes 238U, 232Th and 40K of granites in Guangdong, an important industrial province in southeastern coastal area of China. The concentrations of uranium, thorium and potassium as well as density of 207 samples taken from five big granite bodies in the province are analyzed. The radiogenic heat generation rate ranges from 5.28-7.11ìW/m3. Based on heat flow, radiogenic heat generation rate, cap rock properties and some other factors, the potential for Hot Dry Rock geothermal resource in the Province is preliminarily evaluated. The evidence shows that the province has great potential to develop HDR geothermal resource.