Geothermal resources in Shandong take up to 75% utilization rate

On the 42nd "Earth Day" on April 2nd, the theme of this Earth Day China event was "Treasure Earth Resources and Transform the Way of Development." In an interview with the media, Ministry of Land and Resources Minister Xu Shaoshi said that it is necessary to fully develop and utilize clean energy and significantly increase the share of geothermal energy in China’s energy structure and strive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 210 million tons annually during the “12th Five-Year Plan” period.

A few days ago, the reporter learned from the Shandong Provincial Department of Land and Resources that under the premise of improving resource development and utilization, Shandong Province will continue to promote the development and utilization of geothermal resources.

Shandong is rich in geothermal resources. “China will promote the development and utilization of geothermal resources from the aspects of conducting shallow geothermal energy surveys, conducting resource potential surveys in key areas of the country, and initiating the evaluation of the potential of hot and dry rock resources.” Wang Min, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Land and Resources held on the 22nd The National Land Resources System responded to the global climate change and energy conservation and emission reduction work at a high-level forum.

“China's direct use of thermal energy for many years ranked first in the world. By the end of 2010, the country’s total geothermal energy has contributed a total of 5 million tons of standard coal,” said Guan Fengjun, director of the Department of Geological Environment at the Ministry of Land and Resources.

According to the Shandong Provincial Department of Land and Resources, Shandong Province has abundant geothermal resources. According to geothermal geological conditions and water chemistry features, it can be divided into five geothermal areas. Among them, the Ludong region has medium and low-temperature geothermal resources, while the Luzhongnan and Luxi and Lubei plains mainly focus on low-temperature geothermal resources. According to incomplete statistics, over 150 geothermal hot water dewatering sites have been discovered in Shandong Province.

At present, there are geothermal resources in 17 cities of Shandong Province, and the total geothermal resources are 3,350×1018J. The geothermal resources are dominated by layered thermal reserves. The recoverable resources of geothermal water account for 99.3% of the total in the province. The reservoir is dominated by the reserves of thermal storage in the fissures of the Cenozoic, accounting for 90.8% of the recoverable resources of the layered thermal storage.

In the early stages of development, geothermal resources are not affected by the changes in the seasons and compared to solar and wind energy. The utilization rate is very high. In addition to machine maintenance, it can be operated all year round, reaching 72%. The utilization rate of -75% is the highest among all clean energy sources," said Doug, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. "Geothermal energy is not like nuclear power and other energy sources. It is a very safe energy source."

For the continuous development of geothermal energy, Guan Fengjun said, “China is still at a relatively early stage in the development and utilization of geothermal resources, and it is not at the forefront of key technical aspects.” It is understood that at present, the survey and evaluation of geothermal resources in the country is not high. There is also a disconnect between shallow geothermal energy surveys. “The level of development and utilization of geothermal resources is low, and there is still some waste in the process of utilization.” Guan Fengjun said. The Herald reporter noted that most of the use of geothermal resources in Shandong Province has remained in the development of hot spring tourism, and development and utilization are not perfect.

For the further development of the geothermal resources in Shandong Province, the Department of Land Resources of Shandong Province stated that the development and utilization of geothermal resources must adhere to the road of sustainable development and utilization. With the further development of the "Survey of Geothermal Resources in Shandong Province" project, geothermal resources will gradually become known to the public.