The world is witnessing growing tensions regarding acute fuel scenarios. The fossil fuel cry is increasing by ever growing decibels and causing the humanity at present to sway under the immense pressure of the question – how to end this cry and which is the best way to do so! In the run to find answers to these questions, we have tumbled upon solution in the form of renewable energy sources. The sun, the wind and the water are the most celebrated ones among them. Among the less adopted ones are sources like tidal, wave and geothermal energy. We dedicate this article to the last mentioned source of energy. For those who require a bit of explanation, geothermal energy is the energy of steam which is produced by heating water using the thermal energy of magma. It is a potent source of energy which is operational mostly in areas surrounding volcanic regions.
Trends
1. Geothermal Energy Project
The Government of Indonesia has taken the volcanic energy source quite seriously. There has been a recent declaration from the side of the Government regarding a project that would aim at producing 4000MW of energy using this energy source. Making a good use of volcanoes would finally reduce the country’s huge dependence on carbon sources for energy. If this project turns successful, the Indonesian population would experience a drastic energy turnover, especially the 35 percent of the populace who are currently leading their lives in the electricity deficient darkness would have a reason to rejoice. This energy harnessed from volcanic heat would light up their homes perennially.
2. A derailed 2009n project by Wilfred Elders
The university of California professor, Wilfred Elders recently published a paper, which says that it is now possible to harness magma itself as a source of energy, leave apart the water that is heated up by magma sources. The finding is sourced from the turn of events which the researchers underwent in the process of drilling for their geothermal test. It so happened that while the drills were boring deeper into the earth, super-heated magma unexpectedly made its appearance at a surprising depth even before the completion of the borehole drilling which was supposed to extend to 15,000 feet below the ground. The most amazing fact was that this magma was far hotter than other fluids boiling in the heart of the earth. Researchers feel that such sources of super-heated magma could itself be used to produce energy, if harnessed in the proper manner.
3. Geothermal Power project in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is fortunate to have a range of volcanic sources gurgling with energy, as also an active ecological participant like the inter-American Development bank, IDB. The bank has recently extended a generous loan of $30.3 for the development and operation of a plant that would make proper arrangements to harness energy out of this natural source in the best possible manner. The project has been named the San Jacinto-Tizate Geothermal Power Project. As of Nicaragua, the country is highly dependent on fossil fuel for fulfilling the energy requirements of its citizens. The success of this project would supposedly reduce this dependence and promise a greener future for the country. The project aims at increasing the capacity of an already existent 10MW arrangement to 72 MW.
The concept
As already discussed, this source of energy is derived from the underground magma cocktail. However, geothermal energy does not imply just magmatic heat. It also includes natural hot springs or water that is naturally heated up by the high temperatures beneath the earth. As of volcanic sources, the heat of the magma can be utilized fruitfully to heat up water and the steam thus obtained can be used to rotate turbines.
The advantages
What can be the most potent advantages of using natural and renewable energy sources other than reducing the pollution effect on the earth’s atmosphere? Another advantages of course is that if the present efforts become functional, geothermal energy would add to the already existing list of renewable sources of energy. The taxing on the fossil fuel sources would be reduced to some more extent.
The impact
It’s all positive. In fact, governments are inviting investments in this sector of energy development. If the volcano prone areas rise to this call, it is certain that much of the present energy cry would be solve without the need to turn to anything else. Volcanoes are a primitive and untamed source of energy in gushes. They can be the answers to the present questions if tapped and trained in the proper manner.
