Volcano Drilling in Iceland Opens Door to Volcano-Powered Electricity

“We could drill into the enormous heat from volcanoes to harness its energy for electricity,” a report from a geothermal borehole projected dubbed the Icelandic Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) stated.

According to the report, IDDP has been drilling shafts reaching up to 5000 m in attempt to harness the massive heat energy from the volcanic bedrocks deep into the surface of Iceland. However, as luck would have it, a pocket of magma was unexpectedly struck in 2009 after reaching only 2100 m in their borehole at Krafla in the northeast of Iceland.

The scientists measured high temperatures ranging from 900-1000 degrees Fahrenheit (over 450 degrees Celsius), compared to only 60-80 degrees Celsius from conventional geothermal energy sources.

Volcanic Geothermal Energy Potential

Unlike conventional geothermal energy which utilizes steam from natural sources such a geysers or drawing water from the super-hot depths of the Earth, volcanic geothermal energy utilizes heat from “supercritical water.”

Scientists have found that energy from supercritical water is much higher compared to that from conventional geothermal heat. Supercritical water is formed when water and molten rock meet, and the extreme heat and pressure transforms the state of water where it’s neither liquid nor gas.

According to researchers, volcanic geothermal energy could create up to 10 times more power output compared to conventional geothermal energy.

The heat from magma was found to be capable of generating about 36 MW of electrical power, which is considerably modest compared to the 660 MW generated from coal-fired power plants and more than half of current output from Krafla plant’s, which is 60 MW.

Future Alternative Energy Source

While the volcano drilling project on the Krafla plant has had its fair share of setbacks that limited harnessing of energy to full potential, IDDP in collaboration with other energy companies in Iceland are working towards making their next drilling operations much easier and more successful.

Research is expected to continue through 2018 in attempt to explore the full potential of volcanic thermal energy, especially as an alternative energy source.

According to Wilfred Elders, a geology professor at the University of California, the success of the drilling was amazing, to say the least. "This could possibly lead to a revolution in the energy efficiency of high-temperature geothermal projects in the near future.” he further added.

By drilling deeper boreholes, the IDDP are sure to harness more volcano energy in the future. The company, together with other energy companies in Iceland, has made a substantial investment to further investigate the underlying potential of these boreholes.

Hopefully, massive production of volcano-powered electricity will be made into a reality in the near future, especially considering that non-renewable energy sources are diminishing day by day.

The Future of Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is considered as the 3rd or 4th most important source of renewable energy in the world, behind solar, wind, hydro, biomass, wave, and tidal energy. As of now, it accounts for only a small portion of the world’s total power capacity.

However, expert analysts predict things could change much sooner due to the rise of geothermal plants with great technological advancements.

How is the Future of Geothermal Energy?

The future of geothermal energy can be summed up with a single word: Bright

Yes. The future of geothermal energy looks very bright and for a number of reasons.

Limited Supply of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas are only available in a limited supply, which means that the supply is gradually reducing. The future is certainly dim for fossil fuels and from the look of things, renewable energy sources like geothermal energy might end up replacing non-renewable fuel sources in a few years to come.

Advanced Technology

The supply of geothermal energy is currently low but with advanced technology, we can only expect to use it more alongside other renewable sources. More plants are now utilizing highly advanced technology to increase drilling efficiency which allows more energy from the underground to be capture.

Engineers have also devised and greatly improved Binary Cycle plants that are designed to release no emissions except water vapor, unlike traditional plants that drill dry steam that emits greenhouse gases.

Instead of tapping dry steam directly from the hydrothermal convection zone, binary plants are instead designed to create a closed loop system where hot water runs through a heat exchanger that in turn heats up another liquid like isobutene, which boils at a much lower temperature compared to water.

The isobutene is then used to run the generator while hot water is sent back to the underground. This technology is not only aimed at eliminating greenhouse gases, but also to prevent steam from escaping.

Thanks to technological improvements, geothermal energy will also become cheap. Actually, the Union of Concerned Scientists has revealed that since 1980, the cost of operating geothermal power plants has significantly reduced by as much as 50 percent.

The Rise of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

One of the reasons why geothermal energy accounts for just a small part of the world’s power capacity is that this energy can only be sourced in areas where the earth’s tectonic plates are close to the surface, such that the heat that builds up is easily released.

This is one of the biggest challenges facing geothermal energy production but thanks to technological improvements, plans to create Enhanced Geothermal Systems are underway. Using this technology, water will be injected in the earth’s underground, particularly in hot and dry rock areas.

This is a smart way of producing geothermal energy through smart artificial means. Once this becomes a reality, geothermal energy use will become widespread and therefore cheap and available to most people.

From the look of things, geothermal energy holds some serious potential. It could be the next big thing in the energy industry in a few years to come.

Furthermore, besides being a renewable energy source, it does not have any negative effects on the environment. With technology improvements, we can finally look forward to a clean energy future.