Kotchany Integrated Geothermal Project

Abstract

Integrated direct application geothermal project "Kotchany" is the biggest one in Macedonia and amount the largest in all of Europe. At the moment, it is composed of the heating systems for 180,000 sq. m glasshouses, a large rice drying unit, a paper production industry, a vehicle parts production factory and six buildings with dwellings. Further development is orientated towards a larger share of industrial uses, covering the needs for sanitary warm water for the industry and swellings and introduction of very low temperature heating systems for greenhouses, using the effluent water of other users. In contribution with the existing and new boilers for peak loadings, the whole system should reach the maximal heat power of about 70-80 MW.

Main problems in exploitation ot the system are connected to the reservoir engineering, poor and incomplete heat supply regulation system of glasshouses, difficulties in regular supply of the small users at big distances (connected with large pipes, designs for future bug heat supply), difficulties in payment of the used heat by agricultural producers, ectÖ

A state of the art summary of the integrated project is presented in the paper followed with the results of realized techno/economic feasibility studies for the possible and economically justified development in the next 5 years.