Geothermal Country update of Argentina: 2020-2023

AGOSTINA CHIODI; PLEITAVINO MICAELA; BARCELONA, HERNAN; FILIPOVICH, RUBÉN; ESTEBAN C.

Congreso; World Geothermal Congress 2023; 2023

Following the global trend of energy transition, during the las years Argentina has been incorporating more and more renewable energies into its energy matrix (11.6 %: mainly solar and wind, without any contribution from geothermal energy); however, it is still far from reaching the proposed goal of covering 20 % of the demand by 2025. Through the Act 27.191 and the Program of Electricity Supply from Renewable Sources (RenovAr), the national government awarded during the 2019, 147 projects equivalent to 4466.5 MW of installed capacity in different technologies (wind, solar, biomass, biogas and small-scale hydroelectric plants). However, geothermal energy continues to date without being included in the tenders. The latter being possibly linked to the state of progress of geothermal projects in Argentina, which in most cases are in the exploration stage. It is estimated that Argentina has a potential of more than 1000 MW for electric power generation from its geothermal resources. In this sense, the most interesting high-temperature geothermal systems in Argentina are located in the western sector (Central and Southern Volcanic Zones of the Andes), associated with the Neogene-Holocene volcanic arc. Regarding direct uses, it is continuously working on the construction of balneology projects associated with deep-seated hydrothermal systems in sedimentary basins. These projects are located mainly in the central and eastern regions of Argentina. On the other hand, the use of geothermal heat pumps (GHP) has experienced a marked increase in recent years, mainly in those areas where there is no access to the natural gas network. Finally, The National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICET) and the Geological and Mining Survey of Argentina (SEGEMAR) are the main organizations that promotes the R + D + I of geothermal resources in Argentina, through the financing of research projects oriented to produce the necessary base of knowledge for further accurate assessment of the geothermal potential and ultimately the implementation of the geothermal resource as a viable energy alternative. In this sense, recent investigations have provided new information that has allowed to improve the state of knowledge of the geothermal resource at the national level.