Marco Frassinetti, EXERGY, Italy, discusses the rise of binary technology within the geothermal sphere and how it can be customised for a range of different projects.
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ccording to the latest Renewable Energy Market Update published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in May this year, the relentless growth of renewable energy demand was not stopped in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Renewables were the only energy sources to expand and to set a new record with a capacity addition exceeding 45% from 2019, the largest year-on-year rise since 1999. Geothermal energy contribution represented approximately 200 MWe and raised the total geothermal power generation capacity installed worldwide to 15.6 GWe. A modest growth for the sector that was influenced by the pandemic situation. Turkey, although in an unclear policy situation due to feed-in tariff renewal, was still confirmed as the leading country for geothermal development: 168 MWe was started up in 2020, the whole capacity with binary cycle power plants. Binary technology has been the fastestgrowing technology in the last decade, featuring in more than 50% of new installations. This has been due to its advanced technology, being more responsive to environmental restrictions, and to the rising exploitation of low to medium temperature resources, for which binary systems reveal the best power generating solution in comparison to traditional dry steam power plants. Italian EXERGY International, a provider of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) solutions owning the second largest geothermal binary fleet worldwide, has completed three of the new binary systems commissioned in Turkey in 2020: the 26 MWe power plant for Greeneco Enerji, the 12 MWe for RSC Enerji, and 10 MWe for Kiper Elektrick. Greeneco Enerji geothermal installation represents the sixth unit of a multi-stage project, totalling 102 MWe, that involved the modular expansion of the power generation capacity following geothermal field development. In 2014, EXERGY was awarded the first contracts for the supply of two units, 12 MWe each, commissioned between 2015 and 2016. These were followed by four additional geothermal ORC units. For each project, EXERGY designed a tailored solution equipped with the innovative and proprietary technology known as Radial Outflow Turbine (ROT) to grant high performance, customised solutions, and increased profitability
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