Abstract
Binary-ORC technology is the power plant type which has the most potential Europe and the EU-28. This mainly has to do with the fact that the technology is compatible to operate with low-enthalpy reservoirs, the most common reservoir type in Europe. Besides that, a main advantage is that the technology
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is compatible with EGS. Furthermore, the technology is practically harmless for the environment, which makes it a sustainable option. Finally, according to literature, it can be concluded that the technology is generally widely accepted in geothermal electricity scenario construction.
With regard to Binary-ORC power plant components, it has been found that of the screened key-components, both the ESP and cooling tower embedded potential supply bottlenecks. These bottlenecks embedded potential dependency threats in both manufacturing capacity and infrastructure of the components. A first recommendation with regard to these issues is that it is important to make sure that for these components, a robust group of European key-component suppliers will be formed. The number of European suppliers should be large, in order to decrease the dependency risks in case some suppliers become prone to bankruptcy of geopolitical influences.
The oil and gas industry still has a very dominant position within the immature geothermal drilling market. This is mostly noticeable at rig availability level. According to the results, drilling rig availability shortages still exist during geothermal project development and execution. This problem intensifies in case of high global oil prices, as most of the rigs will then be rented for high tariffs. Rig availability and the oil and gas monopoly position are serious problems and could potentially hinder the proliferation of geothermal electricity generation projects in the (near) future. It is strongly advised that the European Union subsidizes European drilling rig providers, instead of non-European providers. The providers should possess their own fleet of rigs and should not be dependent from other (non-European) companies. Furthermore, drilling costs should be lowered by reducing the drill time and increasing research and development funds.
Based on the results of this study, it can be said that the geothermal power plant construction industry is not likely to become prone to dependency issues. Although, caution should be exercised in the field of ESP and cooling tower supply environment. Geothermal project development however, could be hindered by rig availability issues. As drilling is one of the main activities within a geothermal project, extra caution should be exercised in this sector with regard to the independence of the geothermal drilling market.
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