On the abandoned well Pg-8, the company Petrol Geo, started underground construction work as a part of the Čentiba pilot geothermal power plant, for which Dravske elektrarne Maribor from HSE group, received a construction permit in May 2022. The keynote speaker of official underground construction works opening was dr. Aleksander Jevšek, Minister for Development and European Cohesion Policy.
Pilot geothermal power plant in Čentiba in Municipality of Lendava will utilize the geothermal energy potential of the existing non-productive well Pg-8, around three thousand meters long. The fluid (ammonia) circulates in a completely closed system, which disable any contacts with the surrounding rocks. Well Pg-8 is steel cased and cemented, and as such completely sealed. Pilot geothermal power plant at the Pg-8 well will consist of an underground part, i.e. of the geothermal gravity heat pipe and the above-ground part, i.e. cooling system and turbine micro system.
The underground works include the removal of the existing pipes, for which a special equipment has been mobilized. Activities that will follow are: well gas-sealing check, geothermal gravity heat pipe installing and the gas-sealing check of the space between the pipes in the well. Underground works are being performed in accordance with the mining project.
After completed underground works, activities on the above-ground part of pilot geothermal power plant construction will begin, namely (i) construction work (three building bases, and sewerage, water and electrical lines), (ii) work on electrical and mechanical installation, (iii) modeling and long-term monitoring of trial operation, (iv) geothermal potential of abandoned oil and gas wells assessment in Slovenia and (v) guidelines for the new project development preparation. Start-up tests of first geothermal power plant in Slovenia are planned for June this year.
Practically confirmed new designed concept will enable utilization of other abandoned wells in Slovenia as well as abandoned wells around the world.