Geothermal energy: How can volcanoes generate electricity?

How society consumes energy is causing climate change on the planet, so scientists and companies are looking for alternatives to reduce fossil fuel use. One possibility is nuclear fusion, which could provide clean energy, but this is a plan that is far from being realized. The Earth itself can generate electricity through geothermal energy; So can this energy meet the energy needs of society?

Geothermal energy is produced by processes occurring deep within the Earth, where high temperatures are generated deep within the planet.. This occurs mainly in areas where volcanoes are located, where the subsoil is heated intensely until the rocks turn into lava. This means that electrical energy can be generated right under our feet thanks to this natural system.

It is actually possible to benefit from it Electricity, electrical appliances and machines can be produced from geothermal energy, but it is not as simple as it seems. The natural resource is widely available all over the planet, but that’s not the problem.

“Geothermal energy is a natural source of thermal energy from within the Earth that can be captured and used for cooking, bathing, heating, generating electricity, and other uses. The total amount of geothermal energy occurring on Earth is much greater than the world’s current energy needs, but using it for electricity generation can be difficult,” explains the Encyclopedia Britannica.

What is geothermal energy?

Geothermal energy is a resource continuously produced below the Earth’s surface, where high temperatures are maintained by radioactive decomposition processes of potassium, thorium and uranium in the planet’s crust and mantle, in addition to friction from the movement of tectonic plates. This energy is released from the Earth’s interior through volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, among other natural phenomena.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, The world produces an average of 50 to 70 milliwatts of energy per square meter per year. Just 10 km below the surface of North America, an amount of energy equivalent to 6,000 times the world’s oil reserves is being produced. In other words, this amount would be enough to meet the needs of the entire planet.

For this reason, Geothermal energy has become the focus of study for researchers seeking new renewable energy sources.Unlike solar and wind, geothermal energy is available 24 hours a day, year-round. While solar energy is dependent on sunlight, wind energy is dependent on the intensity of the winds in each region.

“Some geothermal ‘dry steam’ plants collect steam rising from the ground and feed it directly to a turbine. Other plants, built on instantaneous steam and binary cycle designs, use a mixture of steam and heated water extracted from the ground (“wet steam”) to start the electricity-generating process,” adds Encyclopedia Britannica.

How does geothermal energy work?

Many places currently use geothermal resources to meet some of their energy consumption. Approximately 25% of energy from renewable sources in Iceland comes from geothermal. However, there is a clear reason why this energy is not widely used to generate electricity in many cities around the world. Geothermal power plants are extremely expensive to build.

To establish this type of facility; It would need to be close to volcanoes or other areas with extreme temperatures, which is not a reality worldwide.For example, there are no active volcanoes in Brazil.

According to the website SpeechIn addition to being expensive and not widely available, drilling into the ground to build the plant can cause small earthquakes, so there are a number of challenges that make this energy difficult to use, but it is sure to be a focus for scientists in the coming years.

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