Techno-economic modelling of HDR systems [geothermal power]

Summary form only given. Sunderland and Sheffield City Polytechnics are under contract to the UK Department of Energy to develop a mathematical model describing the costs and economics of all aspects of a hot dry rock (HDR) facility. This includes factors such as drilling the wells, creating and fracturing the underground reservoir, specification of the surface plant and the behaviour of the whole system and its maintenance over its lifetime. During operation the reservoir cools and ultimately the well head temperature falls, and reduced plant performance limits the effective life of the system. Thus lifetime, reservoir volume and fluid flow rate are all interrelated. The equipment must be maintained during its lifetime and also the wells and the reservoir may require treatment. The main modelling methods and assumptions are described and some results, which have been produced using a preliminary form of the model, are presented