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RUSSIA - Several areas in the former Soviet republics are near plate margins. The subduction boundary at Kamchatka north of Japan is part of the "ring of fire". This is the only place in Russia with geothermal electric power (11 MWe), as well as many volcanoes and geysers. An 80 MWe plant at Mutnovsky is under construction with waste hot water to be piped 80 km to heat a town. Geothermal waters are used for district heating (about 673 GWh/yr), wool washing, wood drying, production of paper and concrete blocks. Geothermal water also heats 230 acres of greenhouses, some fish farms, many swimming pools and, in Siberia, thaws out frozen ground. The water is even bottled (in 84 plants) for drinking. Another plate margin passes close to Georgia which uses up to 65 degrees C geothermal waters for bathing, space heating, manufacturing, greenhouses and fish farming. |
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