Title: Economic and environmental feasibility of energy extraction from brine of a geothermal wellhead plant

Abstract

The need for sustainability in energy development has resulted in the push to develop sound systems supporting the population's needs while maintaining minimal environmental impacts. This paper describes the utilisation of separated brine for further electricity production, catering to environmental and economic factors. The paper investigates the environmental impact potential through the development of life cycle assessment for geothermal development: drilling, construction and operation phases for two alternatives; double flash and flash-binary plants. The economic analysis involves the computation of the two alternative plants' exergy efficiency and profitability analysis. The environmental analysis uses Life Cycle Assessment modelling to establish the environmental impact potential associated with exergy destruction. Exergy efficiency in both options increases by 75% and 87% for the double flash and the flash-binary plant, respectively. The double flash system has an ROI of 0.32 and an EROI of 0.99. The flash binary has an ROI of 0.28 and an EROI of 0.84. The energy payback ratio is 8 years for the double flash and 9.6 years for the flash binary. The study assigns the factors associated with the alternatives, specifically the components that can be enhanced to improve cost and environmental impacts.