Integration of Geothermal Energy in the Case of North Eastern Morocco

Abstract

Human society is facing various challenges. One of them is growing energy demand as consequence of growing population and fast development of many countries. An important part of a potential solution is sustainable supply of energy. Geothermal energy presents an opportunity for reducing fossil energy consumption and improves the sustainability of processes and the whole society. Geological conditions should be considered when integrating geothermal energy into the energy supply systems. These have significant impact on the temperature and flow-rate of the medium used for energy supply. To achieve an optimal integration of the geothermal energy the generation should be simultaneously analysed – the supply side and the energy consumption - demand side.
The optimal integration of renewable energy needs a trade-off between investment and operating cost. The largest investments for sourcing geothermal energy are usually related to the drilling and the heat exchangers. Pumping the energy transfer fluid also presents a considerable operating cost and a parasitic energy demand. The overall utility supply presents the main operating cost. The aim of this work is to investigate the trade-off between the depth and location of the drilling, and the energy consumption of the demand side.
The trade-off described is evaluated on the case of North Eastern Morocco, where an area with a significant geothermal potential is available. It is not yet exploited as a source of energy. In general the evaluation of the financial aspects for the development of a geothermal system depends strongly on a proper site characterisation. The presented work aims at combining the drilling depth with the temperature, heat flow and the various domains of utilisation. A number of aspects are taken into account, such as the geothermal potential of this province, the legal framework and the identification of markets for geothermal resources – the need requirements for the heat energy at various l