Drilling deep: The future of stable geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is an eco-friendly and sustainable energy source, but current technology only permits its utilization in select locations. New technological advancements, however, may alter this scenario.
Solar and wind energy have their drawbacks due to their unpredictability. On the other hand, traditional coal, gas, and nuclear power plants operate on the principle of turning water into steam, which then drives turbines, producing electricity consistently without significant impact from weather conditions. If we could eliminate the need to heat the water artificially, it would create the perfect, stable source of cheap electricity and heat needed for heating buildings. Iceland is one of the few places where geological conditions allow for such solutions, but the heat is much deeper underground than in other regions.
Is an unlimited source of energy possible?
Deeper drilling is beneficial, and when used in geothermal heat pumps, they perform more effectively in cold conditions than air-source heat pumps. This is because the temperature is usually above freezing at a depth of 100 metres, thus improving their efficiency during -25 degrees Celsius frosts.
New technology in energy
According to information from Interestingengineering, the issue of deep drilling may be resolved by using microwaves to vaporise rocks, allowing drilling to depths of even 16 kilometres or more. Russia's most famous borehole on the Kola Peninsula reached over 12 kilometres in depth and took twenty years to complete.
Matt Houde, co-founder and project manager at Quaise Energy, explained:
The total energy content of the heat stored underground exceeds our annual energy demand as a planet by a factor of a billion. So tapping into a fraction of that is more than enough to meet our energy needs for the foreseeable future.
Drilling to save the planet?
Quaise Energy, in collaboration with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), has been developing drilling technology using microwaves. These devices melt and vaporise rocks, such as basalt, which is challenging for traditional drills. The technology faces difficulties with softer rocks near the surface, so combining traditional drilling methods with microwave technology in the subsequent phase of the process appears to be the optimal solution.
The first drills using this innovative method are anticipated in the coming years. However, to achieve a steady and clean energy source, hundreds, if not thousands of such drills will be required.
