To help the Cycladic islands in the Aegean Sea meet some of their energy needs, Greece has announced plans to use geothermal energy.
The heat produced by the earth’s interior is known as geothermal energy. (Geo means “earth,” and thermal means “heat” It can be harvested for human use and is a renewable resource.
The terms and procedures for the leasing and exploitation of geothermal fields for the production of electricity are outlined in a recent decision by Kostas Skrekas, the minister of environment and energy.
PPC Renewables has received an operating license for the Nisyros and Methana fields as well as the largest geothermal field, which is situated in the island complex of Milos, Kimolos, and Polyaigos.
According to the Hellenic Society for Environment and Culture, the Milos-Kimolos-Polyaigos field has the potential to supply about half of the Cyclades’ energy requirements.
Venture Established to Utilize Geothermal Energy
PPC Renewables and Ilektor have formed a joint venture to use the geothermal fields in question.
Meanwhile, the Regulatory Authority for Energy decided that the producer license secured by PPC Renewables for a geothermal power plant, with an installed capacity of 8 megawatts on Lesvos, be transferred to the PPC-Ilektor venture known as “Geothermal Target 2.”
In accordance with the plan, the first power generation unit will have been constructed and put into service by 2025, and the subsequent ones will be built and put into service after consultation with the local communities.
Since the Paleolithic era, geothermal heating has been used for space heating and for bathing, for example, using water from hot springs.
Geothermal power, the name for the process of producing electricity from geothermal energy, has become more significant in recent years.
Though only a very small portion of the earth’s geothermal resources are currently being profitably exploited, frequently in regions close to tectonic plate boundaries, it is estimated that they are theoretically more than sufficient to meet humanity’s energy needs.
By drawing heat from the earth’s subsurface, geothermal technology can produce electricity or use the heat for heating and cooling systems directly.
However, resources that can withstand moderate to high temperatures are required to produce electricity. These are typically found nearby tectonically active areas where hot water and/or steam can be accessed at shallow depths or carried to the Earth’s surface.
Reference: https://greekreporter.com/2023/01/09/greece-geothermal-energy-aegean-islands/
