Geothermal Power In Renewable Energy Industry
Geothermal energy, which involves pumping superheated water from a depth of 10,000 feet, then converting it to steam, is a renewable process as the water is re-introduced into the earth. Active geothermal energy can either be used as heat that comes directly from the super heated cavity. Or, as is far more common, the cavity is filled with fresh water and the steam that is generated is then used to turn a turbine for electric power.
Low Cost Renewable Energy
Technologies and concepts geothermal energy are not new. Geothermal energy uses proven binary power plants and proven drilling techniques used everyday in the mining industry. This allows geothermal energy to be made available on large scale at very short time. As one of the renewable energy, geothermal energy is cheaper than wind with lowest infrastructure costs. A scaled up plant is estimated to produce power at a cost as low as $40 per megawatt. With zero carbon emission, geothermal renewable energy source is the fiercest rival to conventional fossil fuels.
Traditionally the most dangerous part of a geothermal energy project is the installation of underground heat exchanger. Advancement in mining technology has allowed the installation of underground heat exchanger with minimum risk. Engineers are now able to install huge heat exchanger with maximum safety.
Creative Approach To Exploring Geothermal Energy
Instead of focusing on obtaining the highest temperatures, some companies are aiming to find hot dry rock at a depth less than 3.5 kilometers. Finding hot dry rock close to established infrastructure will save the cost substantially as compared to deep drilling to run transmission lines.
While many of the cavities start out with superheated water under pressure that is then replenished with groundwater, another option is to add water. Instead of diverting valuable water to simply be turned into steam, one creative way is to use the otherwise unusable sewage water. As soon as the sewerage water comes into contact with the super heated rocks, any bacteria that might be lingering around are instantly roasted. This highly sustainable practice allows the shaft cavities to be filled up with water again while getting rid of effluent.
