Article
Northern Thailand Geothermal Resources and Development: A Review and 2012 Update
Geothermal Resources Council, GRC Transactions
(2012)
Abstract
Northern Thailand has 16 hot spring systems with surface temperatures near or greater than 80°C with potential for binary plant power generation. Presently only Fang system generates power from wells flowing a total of 8.3 1/s of 116°C water to a 300 kW single module Ormat binary plant. Current production is 150-250 KW, which potentially can be increased by constructing new wells and increasing flow by pumping. Of the other 15 systems, 4 are in national parks and not considered for development. Several of the hot springs systems have silica geothermometry >130°C suggesting significant undeveloped resources exist in northern Thailand. Certainly the San Kamphaeng hot springs have the greatest known potential (estimated ~5MW) but like most of the systems it is associated with high-angle faulting and drilling has yet to find permeable zones yielding high flows (>11 l/s). The current project of the Thailand Department of Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) will survey these prospects with the intention of installing a small plant of 2-10 MW.
Keywords
- Thailand,
- low temperature,
- hot springs,
- flow,
- geochemistry,
- geothermometry,
- silica deposits,
- power generation
Disciplines
Publication Date
September 30, 2012
Citation Information
Fongsaward Suvagondha Singharajwarapan, Spencer H. Wood, Natthaporn Prommakorn and Lara Owens. "Northern Thailand Geothermal Resources and Development: A Review and 2012 Update" Geothermal Resources Council, GRC Transactions Vol. 36 (2012) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/spencer_wood/11/
This document was originally published by the Geothermal Resources Council in Geothermal Resources Council Transactions. Copyright restrictions may apply.