A review of geothermal energy resources for electricity generation in Oman

Umar, Tariq; Egbu, Charles

Abstract

Oman, like other Arab gulf countries, depends on oil and gas to produce electricity. However,
these resources are not guaranteed to last forever and constitute one of the energy security
issues in the country. Oman’s oil and gas reserves are comparatively low to other Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries. This article explores the potential of using
geothermal energy resources for electricity generation in Oman. Geothermal energy is counted
as a type of renewable energy, which means the availability is not affected by the lack of source
and the increasing price of fossil oil. The review of geothermal energy shows that cost of
electricity generation and greenhouses gases emission is comparatively lower than other form
of renewable energy resources. Different types of geothermal plants are discussed with a
reference of required temperature for operation of these plants. The binary cycle geothermal
power plants are used for low temperature applications (85–175 °C). The temperature of 55
bore holes in Oman is more than 100⁰ C which can be used in binary geothermal plants for
electricity generation. The maximum temperature (173.68⁰ C) is at PDO well “Makarem‐I”
located in the northern part of Oman. There is opportunity for Oman to adopt renewable energy
resources and explore the potential of geothermal in more detail. This will help the country to
reduce the dependency on oil and gas and compete in the region towards adopting renewable
resources.

Citation

Umar, T., & Egbu, C. (2017). A review of geothermal energy resources for electricity generation in Oman. In G. Aouad, A. Al‐Hajj, & C. Egbu (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Futures (235-244)

• Conference Name: International Conference on Sustainable Futures ICSF 2017 Kingdom of Bahrain
• Conference Location: Kingdom of Bahrain
• Start Date: Nov 26, 2017
• Acceptance Date: Sep 20, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017
• Deposit Date: Feb 20, 2022
• Pages: 235-244
• Book Title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Futures
• ISBN: 9789995890360
• Keywords: energy; natural resources; renewable energy; fossil fuels
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8661938
• Publisher URL: https://www.asu.edu.bh/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ASU-ICSF-2017-Proceedings.pdf