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Environmentally friendly -

Let's first look at some of the reasons that geothermal energy is such a great resource. Firstly, it is much more environmentally friendly than other fuel sources.

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Environmentally friendly -

The carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant is relatively low. While there is some pollution involved, in general it is much less harmful than fossil fuels.

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Renewable -

Next up is renewability. Geothermal energy is a renewable resource that will be available right up until the Earth is finally destroyed by the Sun (in around five billion years).

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Renewable -

Whereas the supply of other energy sources, such as fossil fuels, is finite, the hot reservoirs deep in the Earth replenish themselves, meaning that geothermal energy is naturally renewable.

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Reliable -

Geothermal energy is a much more reliable source of energy than other renewable options, such as wind or solar power.

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Reliable -

Geothermal energy is constantly available and its supply does not fluctuate. Therefore, it is possible to predict the output from a geothermal power plant with a high level of accuracy.

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Potential -

Geothermal energy has huge potential. In fact, its potential is believed to far outweigh the world’s total energy consumption.

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Potential -

While we are currently unable to make use of most reservoirs, there are hopes that, with ongoing research and development, this will soon change.

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Rapid evolution -

Another advantage of geothermal energy lies in its rapid evolution as an energy source. New technologies are constantly being developed to improve this energy process.

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Rapid evolution -

Scientists hope that by increasing the number of projects that focus on harnessing geothermal energy, they will be able to mitigate many of the challenges they currently face.

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Challenges -

So why is it currently so difficult to harness geothermal energy? The main challenge has to do with the fact that it lies so deep below the Earth’s surface.

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Location -

Indeed, while this limitless energy source bubbles below people’s feet, there are only a few places where it comes close enough to the surface to harness.

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Iceland -

One of the places where it is possible to tap into geothermal energy is Iceland, which is home to more than 200 volcanoes and dozens of natural hot springs.

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Geothermal fires -

In fact, there are steaming pools of water dotted all over the country that are heated by geothermal fires that burn just below the Earth's surface.

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Important fuel source -

In Iceland, tapping into geothermal energy is a simple task. The country now uses this energy source to heat 85% of its houses.

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Abundant and accessible -

At the same time, 25% of the country’s electricity comes from power stations that are fueled by this abundant and easily accessible resource.

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Limited countries -

Iceland is in the minority, however, as a country that has a geothermal power plant in operation. Currently, it is only joined by 31 other countries.

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Statistics -

In 2024, there are fewer than 700 geothermal power plants in the world. In 2023, those plants generated less than half the amount of electricity generated in the US by solar alone.

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Current blocker -

In most countries, we would have to drill much deeper below the surface to tap into geothermal energy sources. So far, this has been a the primary challenge.

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Greenhouse gas emissions -

Another reason that geothermal energy has not really taken off is that some people are concerned about the greenhouse gases that may be released during digging.

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Proximity to plants -

Indeed, there are several greenhouse gases stored below the Earth’s surface. While they are already released naturally, rates do increase with proximity to geothermal power plants.

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Caveat -

However, fears about greenhouse gas emissions cannot be considered to be a key preventative measure, as those emissions are still far lower than those associated with fossil fuels.

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Risk of earthquakes -

Another issue with tapping into geothermal energy is that the digging sometimes causes alterations in the Earth’s structure. These have been known to cause earthquakes.

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Opening fissures -

This effect is more prevalent with enhanced geothermal power plants, which force water into the Earth’s crust to open fissures to better exploit the geothermal energy source.

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Caveat -

However, it is important to remember that most geothermal power plants are located away from populated areas and so the impact is relatively minor.

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Cost -

Another key challenge in the geothermal energy campaign is cost. It costs between US$2,000 and $7,000 to build a plant with a one megawatt capacity.

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Long-term investment -

But building a geothermal energy plant should be considered a long-term investment, as the upfront costs are often recovered by savings made further down the line.

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Not convinced -

Historically, however, this argument has not successfully convinced decision-makers that geothermal power plants are worth the capital investment.

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Final thoughts -

It is clear, therefore, that while the concept of geothermal energy is very appealing, we are a long way from properly being able to exploit the resource.

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Moving forward -

However, perhaps greater investment and attention will allow geothermal energy to eventually become the reliable and sustainable energy source the world so desperately needs. 

Source: (BBC) (TWI Global)

See also: The key raw materials needed to power the devices of the future

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