OREANDA-NEWS. January 9, 2013. JSC RusHydro (ticker symbol: MICEX, LSE: HYDR; OTCQX: RSHYY)announces that it has successfully tested domestically developed geothermal power generation technology based on binary cycle at its Pauzhetskaya geothermal power plant on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Far East. The next stage of tests will include actual output of electricity to the grid.

In binary cycle geothermal power generation system moderately heated geothermal water and a secondary (hence, "binary") fluid with a lower boiling point than water pass through a heat exchanger. Heat from the geothermal fluid causes the secondary fluid to flash to vapor, which then drives the turbines and subsequently, the generators.

Earlier the Pauzhetskaya plant was using dry steam technology, which used only steam, coming from the well. Geothermal water, coming along with the steam, was separated and discarded.

Commenting on the tests RusHydro’s Deputy CEO George Rizhinashvili commented: “Importance of successful test of binary-cycle unit goes beyond increased capacity and improved utilization of geothermal resources of one power plant: this technology could be widely used for generation of power on the basis of low- and moderate potential heat so far wasted by many industrial processes”.

Pauzhetskaya geothermal power plant operating at Kambala geothermal deposit in the South-Western part of Kamchatka Peninsula is the first geothermal power generation facility built in Russia back in 1966. It had initial capacity of 5 MW, later increased to 12 MW. Completion of the binary block will add 2.5 MW to the capacity of the plant.