What are the risks of geothermal energy?
What are the risks of geothermal energy?
The environmental effects of geothermal development and power generation include the changes in land use associated with exploration and plant construction, noise and sight pollution, the discharge of water and gases, the production of foul odours, and soil subsidence.
Can geothermal drilling Cause Earthquakes?
Traditional geothermal drilling bores into hot rock such as sandstone that has water or steam trapped in its pore spaces and natural fractures. The drilling itself does not cause earthquakes, but the steam removal and water return can do so, by producing new instability along fault or fracture lines.
What is a geothermal hazard?
From Óladóttir, 2012) Most medium to high-temperature geothermal resources are located in tectonically active regions. Thus increasing the chances of geo-hazard occurrences. These are hazards related to geological phenomena and includes, seismic and volcanic events and mass flow movements (landslides and debris flows).
Does geothermal require drilling?
As outlined above, geothermal wells vary in depth, but for larger scale energy usage we are usually drilling to depths of between 3km and 5km, although wells are becoming deeper.
What country is the largest producer of geothermal energy?
Top countries producing geothermal power
- US. With an installed capacity of 3,639MW in 2018, the US is the leading producer of geothermal energy across the world, producing 16.7 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of geothermal energy throughout the year.
- Indonesia.
- Philippines.
- Turkey.
- New Zealand.
- Mexico.
- Italy.
- Iceland.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using geothermal energy?
An Overview of Geothermal Pros and Cons:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This energy source is more environmentally friendly than conventional fuel sources. | The largest single disadvantage of geothermal energy is that it is location specific. |
| A source of renewable energy. | Gases are released into the atmosphere during digging. |
How much land do you need for geothermal?
An entire geothermal field uses 1-8 acres per megawatt (MW) versus 5-10 acres per MW for nuclear operations and 19 acres per MW for coal power plants. Coal power plants also require huge acreages for mining their fuel.
How far do you have to drill for geothermal?
How deep do you have to dig? For a horizontal loop you only need to dig between 6 – 8 feet deep. For a vertical loop you need to drill between 250 and 300 feet deep.