It is known, that up to 10 % of total explored resources of geothermal waters 
(GTW) of Russia is concentrated within territory of Daghestan. But at present a 
quote of commercial reserves of GTW makes up about 20% and rate of 
increasing a share of geothermal power in energy balance of the republic of 
Daghestan does not exceed 1%. Only 100 thousand consumers are provided in 
Daghestan with geothermal heat. 

One of the reasons of such a situation it is focusing the economy of the republic 
to use of traditional energy sources. For example, heat supply of industrial 
objects and housing estates of towns and settlements of the republic is carried 
out with boiler district heating, using organic fuel: natural gas and heavy 
fractions of oil. Simultaneously reorientation of republican systems of heat 
supply to application of geothermal technologies with using of heat pumps will 
allow to economize up to 30 % of traditional heat sources.

For popularization of technical possibilities and scientific achievements in a 
sphere of development of geothermal energy Institute for Geothermal Research 
organized and conducted the International Conference "Renewable energy: 
problems and prospects"(September 2005). The main purpose of the 
Conference was exchange of information about achieved level of scientific 
technologies of renewable energy sources (RES) development in Russia and 
other countries for a period 2000 – 2005. More than 100 scientists and 
specialists of different scientific and industrial organizations and high schools of 
the country, including from Moscow, Sankt-Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Saratov, 
Jaroslavl, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and other cities of Russia took part in the 
work of the conference. Papers of scientists and specialists from Iran, India and 
some other countries were represented in the program of the conference. Two 
volumes of Proceedings, including 80 papers and innovative projects, have 
been published. 

Work of the conference was widely represented in mass media and its 
organization in Daghestan was a new impact for development of theoretical 
and experimental investigations of RES. So, together with the 
Corporation "Energija" (Novosibirsk) an experimental system of geothermal 
heat supply of dwelling house in Makhachkala city with application of heat 
pump HT – 300 and low-enthalpy (48 oC) thermal water is elaborated and 
approved. A number of innovative projects of the Institute, including "Creation 
of energy-biological complex on a basis of explored geothermal resources of 
the Northern Daghestan", are assumed to introduction.

For evaluation of technogeneous pollution of environment when developing 
geothermal resources of Daghestan chemical composition of highly saline 
waters of the main geothermal fields was tested and technology of their 
purification from the most toxic organic substances – phenols and aliphatic 
alcohols – is worked out. Together with the Corporation "Twell Invest 
Technology" (Moscow) planning of technological complex is carried out for 
production of lithium salts by utilizing geothermal brines of the Seaside and 
Northern Daghestan.

Drawing attention to the acute lack of scientific and engineer personnel in a 
field of power engineering and simultaneously a good experience of 
organization in Daghestan of Trainings of Young Scientists under the aegis of 
UNESCO and RAS, the conference recommended to conduct "Schools of Young 
Scientists" on problems of renewable energy sources in the Institute for 
Geothermal Research regularly.  

The last one of them was scientific school of the young scientists "Actual 
problems of development of renewable energy resources" – worked in 
Makhachkala in September 2006. IGR DSC RAS and IVTRAN – participants of the 
ENGINE project took part in the work of the School and inform young specialists 
about purpose and task of coordination project ENGINE. The main directions of 
the work became analysis of the state of the art and prognosis of long-term 
directions in elaboration of scientific technologies of the RES development, at 
first geothermal energy, what sounded in the leading scientists' and specialists' 
reviews and papers and also in young scientists', post-graduate students' and 
students' posters.

Monograph "Geothermal energy: problems, resources and technologies", and 
also methodical manual on the most important aspects of using geothermal 
resources, solar and wind energy and another types of RES are written by 
Alkhasov A.B. and preparated to publication by recommendation of the School's 
Organizing Committee.

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