Can China's geothermal energy "heat up"?

Unlike wind energy, solar energy, etc., the use of geothermal energy is almost never abandoned. It is a renewable energy source with great potential.

It is finally hoped that the "second spring" coming to China's geothermal heat will continue to benefit from the country's policy.

Recently, the Comprehensive Division of the National Energy Administration and the General Office of the Ministry of Land and Resources jointly issued a notice requiring all localities to compile plans for the development and utilization of geothermal energy in this province (region, city), and report it by the end of December of this year.

Unlike wind energy, solar energy, etc., the use of geothermal energy is almost never abandoned. It is a renewable energy source with great potential. However, in the past few years when wind power and photovoltaic giants expanded, they rarely saw geothermal energy.

Can this new plan that is being formulated make China's geothermal energy rejuvenate?

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The last document that excited the geothermal community is the “Guidelines for Promoting the Development and Utilization of Geothermal Energy” (hereinafter referred to as “Opinions”) issued in early 2013.

In the past year or so, the National Energy Administration and the Ministry of Land and Resources have again issued a circular to compile plans for the development and utilization of geothermal energy. The short interval is surprising.

In this regard, Li Kewen, a professor at the China University of Geosciences (Beijing), pointed out to reporters that this is in line with the Opinions and is the concrete implementation and continuation thereof.

"The decision-makers have already realized that geothermal energy is an important part of renewable energy. Geothermal energy has not been mentioned before," said Wu Fangzhi, secretary general of the Tibet Geothermal (Power) Engineering Research Center, who told reporters.

Zhou Xiujie, a researcher in the energy industry at China Investment Advisors, also pointed out to reporters that the current determination to develop geothermal energy at the national level is very firm, and the role of the formulation and improvement of industrial planning in the development of the industry is self-evident.

Such an unprecedented degree of emphasis has been attributed to the rapid deterioration of the atmospheric environment and, on the other hand, inseparable from the active efforts of the geothermal community in recent years.

For a long time, geothermal energy has been considered by the outside world to be used only as a heating or hot spring bathing, while neglecting the great potential of geothermal power generation.

As early as 1976, the first megawatt geothermal power generation unit in China had successfully generated electricity in Yangbajing, Tibet. However, Yangbajing was the only geothermal power station in China for more than 30 years.

Wang Jijun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told reporters: “The only project in the Chinese geothermal community that can “get out of hand” is the Tibet Yangbajing Power Plant.”

However, in 2011, Jiangxi Huadian’s Shangmao Sheep Geothermal Power Project in Tibet broke the long-standing embarrassment of geothermal power generation in China. For a time, the Chinese geothermal community was delighted and excited, allowing decision makers to see the enormous potential of geothermal power generation.

“Yanyi Power Plant has successfully tested power generation at present, and in recent years, the number of geothermal power generation experimental projects has continued to increase. The “Opinions” plan that was introduced earlier has somewhat failed to keep pace with actual development. This is one of the important reasons for this reformulation.” Wu Fangzhi said.

At present, the "Opinions" as the vanguard has attracted the attention of local governments. Resource exploration, model discussions and development planning are being carried out in an orderly manner. The development of targeted development plans is more conducive to the soundness and science of the industry. development of.

The notice pointed out that China’s recent geothermal energy development and utilization plans should focus on shallow geothermal energy heating (cooling), medium-deep geothermal energy heating and comprehensive utilization, and long-term development of medium-temperature geothermal power generation and dry hot rock power generation.

“The successive steps of this plan should be reasonable. It not only conforms to the laws of the development of geothermal in China, but also coincides with the history of geothermal development in advanced countries around the world,” said Li Kewen.

However, he stressed that this does not mean that there will be no use of low-temperature geothermal power in the near future.

Wu Fangzhi also pointed out that geothermal power generation should receive greater attention and support, otherwise the related planning of the “12th Five-Year Plan” will be difficult to achieve.

According to the "Opinions", by 2015, the installed capacity of geothermal power generation in China will reach 100,000 kilowatts, the geothermal heating area in China will reach 500 million square meters, and the annual geothermal energy will reach 20 million tons of standard coal.

However, from the current state of development, it is very difficult to achieve the installed capacity of 100,000 kilowatts. As of 2012, due to equipment aging and other reasons, the total installed capacity of geothermal power has been reduced to 24,000 kilowatts.

In addition, China has abundant reserves of geothermal resources, but geological structures vary widely, and the efficiency of geothermal resources development and utilization is different. It is difficult to develop and use deep-seated resources. Therefore, the development effect and economic value are difficult to show in the short term.

Zhou Xiujie pointed out that local governments in the planning and development follow the principles of “ease of doing things first” and “layered development” in order to avoid blind development and excessive investment affecting the normal development of the industry.

In the course of the interview, the reporter discovered that the “card” for resource exploration, the lack of government support for geothermal power generation, and the lack of technical talents are the main problems that hinder the development of geothermal energy in China. At the same time, to promote the development of geothermal energy in China, we must pay attention to and actively introduce private capital.

Unlike renewable energy sources such as wind energy and solar energy, geothermal energy has great risks in the exploration and development stage. Wu Fangzhi said: "If the risk of geothermal exploration is entirely borne by the private-equity enterprises with poor anti-risk capabilities, it will weaken the enthusiasm of private capital entry, and it is obviously not conducive to the development of the geothermal energy industry."

He suggested that the state should increase exploration and scientific research, and related departments should take the initiative to bear the risk of exploration.

The reporter learned that taking the country as the main body to conduct exploration and development of geothermal resources before attracting investment from private capital is a mature business model for promoting geothermal energy in other countries. In the past, geothermal exploration in China was completed by the state, but it has now ceased.

“The geothermal energy can be included in the resource category to pay the resource tax, which can accumulate some costs for national exploration.” Wu suggested.

Zhou Xiujie also pointed out that the new geothermal planning in the future should fully introduce industrial, subsidy, taxation, and preferential policies and implement them. Enterprises, scientific research institutions, and investors should work together to help geothermal power generation projects. At the same time, the demonstration effect and leading role of leading enterprises and key projects cannot be ignored, and demonstration projects should be gradually carried out.

However, although Tibet’s Yangyi Power Station, which is currently the most concerned in the geothermal community, has been launched in 2011, it has not been smooth in the construction process and has encountered many problems such as capital and exploration.

“Yanyi Power Station must be successful. If it fails, China’s geothermal energy may be silent. We hope that the state will increase support for this key project,” said Wu Fangzhi.

In addition, in terms of personnel training, Wu Fang expressed emotion: "I am considered the first generation of geothermal research. Now there are fewer second- and third-generation researchers in China, and it is difficult to obtain national research projects, leading to funding and talent. All are very scarce, which is very detrimental to the development of geothermal energy in China."

"Issues such as difficulties in resource exploration, inadequate government support, and lack of technical talents, I believe that with the introduction of the new plan is expected to be eased to some extent. However, the problem of talent is not a day's work." Li Kewen said.