Potential of geothermal energy in China

Abstract

This thesis provides an overview of geothermal power generation and the potential for geothermal energy utilization in China. Geothermal energy is thermal energy stored in the earth's crust and currently the only ubiquitously available form of renewable energy that does not require a fuel or present intermittency concerns when used for power generation. In China, geothermal fields were first studied in the 1970s, but commercial development for power generation has been limited to 25MW, which is insignificant when compared to 1978MW of geothermal power plant capacity in the neighboring and much smaller Philippines. The barriers to geothermal development in China are common and can be narrowed down to uncertainties in commercial viability, lack of technical knowledge, and poor oversight of geothermal projects. This thesis finds several ways in which the federal and local Chinese government can encourage the development of geothermal energy. In light of increasing CO2 emissions and its effects on climate change, the development of renewable energy such as geothermal energy remains critical.