Search

 

There is no installed geothermal generating capacity as for December 2009.

No new power plant has been added to the country geothermal capacity, even if an important geothermal exploration is in process. The high temperature fields are located on the Andes mountains, at very high elevation, in severe climatic and logistic conditions, without an easy access to the national electricity grid. A joint venture of Enel Green Power and the ENAP (national oil company) is going to develop four projects, in different location of the country, for an aggregate capacity of about 150 MW. The expected reservoir temperature is above 200°C at depth less than 2,000 m.

Taken from Ruggero Bertani’s paper, " Geothermal Power Generation in the World 2005–2010 Update Report ", published in Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2010, Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April 2010.   

 

DIRECT USES

 

 

Geothermal energy in the country has been only utilized for recreational purposes. Current use in spa and swimming pools accounts for all the capacity. However, there are many private thermal spas and resorts in the geothermal area, for which quantitative information regarding their use of geothermal resources is not available. In some spas, shallow wells have been drilled to obtain hot water, while in others hot water is collected rudimentary and piped to the buildings pools, through shallow drains and plastic hoses.

A total of 20 bathing and swimming sites have been identified amounting to 9.11 MWt and 131.82 TJ/yr.
 

Taken from the paper by John W. Lund, Derek H. Freeston, and Tonya L. Boyd: "Direct Utilization of Geothermal Energy 2010 Worldwide Review"; published in Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2010, Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April 2010