Incubator needed for geothermal pilot projects in Algeria

Algeria Greenhouses, (source: Flickr, Larry Koester, creative commons)

A workshop entitled “Geothermal energy, a substitute for natural gas” held in Algiers, Algeria yesterday  pointed to the need of setting up a focal entity which will act as incubators for pilot projects to assess all aspects related to the implementation of geothermal energy in Algeria.

According to a press release from the organizer or the event, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Renewable Energies, one of the main recommendations resulting from this Workshop was that relating to “the need to set up a focal entity which will concentrate all of the geothermal data and studies carried out and will act as incubators for pilot projects which will make it possible to concretely assess and control all the technical and economic aspects linked to the implementation of this type of energy source “. We reported on the country’s geothermal potential and approach to utilise it earlier this year.

This workshop, which aims to be a catalyst and a national platform for exchange to highlight the opportunities for the development of geothermal energy as a vector of clean energy for the benefit of sustainable development, brought together several ministers and national skills, including officials, experts, researchers and specialists.

On the occasion, participants presented heir work as well as the sectoral actions undertaken to date, allowing the characterization of geothermal resources in Algeria, the press release said.

Also, a panel of experts put forward all the avenues that could lead to the effective exploitation of thermal springs for the production of heat first, then electricity as a second step, said the same source, all by specifying that this will allow “to evaluate the share of the energy potential of the geothermal sector in the energy model of Algeria of 2030”.

Recalling that Algeria had initiated a priority roadmap to address the socioeconomic and geopolitical risks generated by the depletion of fossil fuels and fully contribute to climate neutrality, the Ministry of Energy Transition stressed that the objective being to put set up a new energy model by 2030 which will take into account all available renewable energy sources such as wind power, biomass, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, as well as energy vectors such as hydrogen green.

In this wake, the Ministry of Energy Transition indicated that Algeria has 282 thermal springs identified to date which offer, according to him, “immense opportunities” for the development of this source of energy.

“Balneotherapy remains practically the only direct use of geothermal energy. Depending on the temperature range of the water (very low, low, medium and high) and its physicochemical properties, several applications are possible, ranging from the production of heat and cold until the production of electricity, “he also said.

Source: APS.dz