Manisa is one of the few provinces where different uses of geothermal energy sit side by side. Along the Gediz Graben, many power plants have been built around Alaşehir and Sarıgöl in recent years, while in Salihli geothermal water has long been used for residential heating. Greenhouses and thermal facilities complete the picture. Because each use carries a different chemical risk, operators in Manisa need a programme designed for their own system rather than a single recipe.
The Gediz Graben: the northern neighbour of the Büyük Menderes
Crustal extension in Western Anatolia created a second major basin north of the Büyük Menderes: the Gediz Graben. Water percolating down along the graben’s boundary faults heats up, dissolves minerals from the rock and accumulates in reservoirs. The deep, high-temperature reservoirs around Alaşehir suit power generation, while the lower-temperature resources around Salihli suit direct heating.
In power plants: the calcite, silica and corrosion triangle
Fluids in the region also carry dissolved CO₂. When pressure falls in a production well and boiling begins, CO₂ escapes into the gas phase and calcite deposits just above the flash point. In binary (ORC) plants the main risk lies where the fluid is cooled:
- Production wells: calcite scale and loss of flow. The remedy is delivering scale inhibitor below the flash depth through a capillary tube. See calcite scaling and downhole dosing.
- Binary heat exchangers: silica and metal silicate fouling, with falling heat transfer and net output. See heat exchanger and ORC fouling.
- Reinjection: silica scale and loss of injectivity in the cooled brine. See reinjection line.
- Sulphide deposits at some fields: thin but effective layers in cold-end heat exchangers. See sulphide scaling.
In heating and greenhouses: heat exchangers and closed loops
In residential heating and greenhouses, geothermal water is usually not circulated directly; its heat is transferred through a plate heat exchanger to a closed loop of clean water. Two problems are typical here:
- Calcite scale on the geothermal side of the exchanger: even a few millimetres reduce heat transfer, and a mid-winter shutdown for cleaning is the most expensive scenario.
- Corrosion in the closed loop: oxygen entering the loop accelerates corrosion of pipes and radiators, and corrosion products in turn foul the exchanger.
Tracking exchanger inlet and outlet temperatures and pressure drop every week catches fouling early. More: geothermal heating and greenhouses.
A short checklist for Manisa operators
- Commission separate fluid analyses for power and heating systems; resources can differ even within the same district.
- Use flash depth as the reference indicator at power plants, and heat exchanger approach temperature in heating systems.
- Prevent oxygen ingress into closed loops and check corrosion inhibitor concentration regularly.
- Take scale samples during maintenance shutdowns and have them analysed; the programme is adjusted to the scale’s composition.
Working in Manisa with Biyopol Kimya
Our plant in İzmir is close to the Manisa fields, so we can visit and supply both power plants and heating and greenhouse operators at short notice. BiyoGeo CS scale inhibitor is used on the well and plant side, BiyoGeo HX heat exchanger conditioner in heating and greenhouse exchangers, and BiyoGeo CI corrosion inhibitor in pipelines and closed loops. Our regional approach is on the Manisa geothermal fields page; all solutions are on geothermal power plant chemicals.
Would you like an assessment for your plant, heating system or greenhouse? Contact us through the quote and sample request form.