One ruble, invested into development of geological science, gives six rubles of economical effect to the republic.“Іnnovation development of geological science is a way to effective and complex reclamation of subsurface resources”. This is how “sloganly” the international scientific and practical conference was called, which had recently been held in Minsk. In the name was also represented the main aim of the forum. In it took part the scientists from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. They discussed the condition of geological science and also perspectives of usage of new equipment and technologies in mining operations.
All the last year in Belarus came under the sign of energy- and resources’ saving, and this most important direction of the national policy remains one of the priority directions. Before the scientists and geologists were set clear and rather reasonable problems.
— For the last years in Belarus the effectiveness of exploration works has significantly increased, — underlined the Deputy Minister of natural resources and environmental protection Galina Volchuga. — In our country new technologies for the development and mining operations are being introduced, scientific maintenance of exploration works is being improved. Today one ruble, invested into the development of geological science, gives six rubles of economical effect. And in conditions of price increase for energy resources the question of development of the own raw-material base becomes more topical. The main attention is paid to the development and extraction of the local fuel types and renewable energy sources. One of the new directions of power engineering for Belarus became geothermal energy. During the last two years we studied international experience in this sphere in detail, it will be soon applied in several projects on the usage of water energy.
You don’t even need to heat...
Besides, according to the words of Anatoly Makhnach, the Director of the Institute of geochemistry and geophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, which he told at the conference, the scientists of Belarus consider the possibility of construction of geothermal stations in Svetlogorsk and Rechitsa. The average temperature of water in the holes amounts to 30 degrees centigrade. At the present moment the most effective technologies of geothermal energy usage are being chosen.
It is planned to commission the first geothermal station in Belarus in 2008–2009. It will be constructed in Brest region on the basis of a hothouse integrated plant “Berestje” — geothermal energy will be used for heat supply of the enterprise. The project depth of the hole is 1,5 thousands of meters, the temperature of water amounts to nearly 40 degrees centigrade. It is forecasted, that heat power of this station can reach nearly 2 mW.
According to Anatoly Makhnach, on the territory of Pripyatsky downfold on the south-east of Belarus there are water holes, which energy it is possible to use successfully for industrial purposes. The highest temperature of water in 116,5 degrees centigrade was fixed in the hole Barsukovskaya-63 in Gomel region. However, the dewatering in this region is complicated by high saltness of brine solutions — 300–400 grams of salt per liter. So, here a peculiar technology is necessary, which will allow effective usage of water energy of this hole.
This is not by chance that so many attention is paid to this question. Geothermal energy is actively applied in many world countries. For example, in the USA act nearly 200 thousand of thermodynamic facilities, in Switzerland — nearly 19 thousands, in Poland — more than 600. It is planned, that to 2014 the countries of the European Union will increase the part of geothermal energy in the fuel and energy balance to 10–12 percents. At that, the warmth of subsurface water is a renewable and ecologically clean energy source.
The depths are not bottomless
Not in vain today the majority of the world states form a new mineral policy. One of its main directions, including for Belarus, is application of modern technologies upon handling of exploration works and processing of mineral resources.
Certainly, many directions of scientific and geological works can’t bring economic effect at once, however, they will serve a basis for further research and important scientific openings in Belarus, Galina Volchuga is sure. Today the scientists choose new technologies and equipment for development and assimilation of those mineral deposits, which were considered futureless twenty years ago.
Anna Bondarchuk
