Potential of Geothermal power in the world
We know geothermal power (geothermal energy) is one favourable kind of green energy in the world. But from our daily life we know little about geothermal power (geothermal energy).
We show potential of geothermal power in the world below.
If heat recovered by ground source heat pumps is included, the non-electric generating capacity of geothermal power (geothermal energy) is estimated at more than 100 GW (gigawatts of thermal power). This geothermal power is used commercially in over 70 countries.
During 2005, contracts of utilizing geothermal energy were placed for an additional 0.5 GW (gigawatts) of capacity in the United States, while there were also plants, which are under construction in 11 other countries.
Estimates of exploitable worldwide geothermal energy resources vary considerably. According to a study of 1999, it was thought that this might amount to between 65 and 138 GW of electrical generation capacity 'using enhanced technology'.
A report of 2006 by MIT, that took into account the use of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), concluded that it would be affordable to generate 100 GWe (gigawatts of electricity) or more by 2050 in the United States alone, for a maximum investment of 1 billion US dollars in research and development over 15 years.
The MIT report calculated the world's total Enhanced Geothermal Systems resources to be over 13,000 ZJ. Of these, over 200 ZJ would be extractable, with the potential to increase this to over 2,000 ZJ with technology improvements.
The key characteristic of an Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) (also called a Hot Dry Rock system), is that it reaches at least 10 km down into hard rock. At a typical site two holes would be bored and the deep rock between them fractured. Water would be pumped down one and steam would come up the other.
In fact the MIT report estimated that there was enough energy in hard rocks 10 km below the United States to supply all the world's current needs for 30,000 years.
And other important countries considered high in potential for development of geothermal power (geothermal energy) are China, Hungary, Mexico, Iceland, and New Zealand.
