Bangladesh plans to import 1200MW from India

[eastwatch]

Vast amounts of clean electricity from Earth’s own heat

Most energy analysts agree that geothermal energy — tapping the heat of bedrock deep underground to generate electricity — has enormous potential because it is available all the time, almost anywhere on Earth, and there is enough of it available, in theory, to supply all of the world’s energy needs for many centuries. But there are still some unanswered questions about it that require further research. The US DoE last year awarded $336 million in grants to help resolve the remaining uncertainties, and three of those grants, totaling more than $2 million, went to MIT researchers.

Everywhere on Earth, a few miles below the surface, the bedrock is hot, and the deeper you go the hotter it gets. In some places, water heated by this hot rock comes naturally to the surface or close to it, where it can be easily tapped to drive a turbine and generate electricity.

But where naturally heated water is not available at or near the surface, this process can be recreated by drilling one very deep well to inject water into the ground, and another well nearby to pump that water back to the surface after it has been heated by passing through cracks in the hot rock. Such systems are known as Engineered Geothermal Systems, or EGS.

A 2006 report by an 18-member team led by MIT Professor Jefferson Tester (now emeritus, and working at Cornell University) found that more than 2,000 times the total annual energy use of the United States could be supplied, using existing technology, from EGS systems, and perhaps 10 times as much with improved technology.

Herbert Einstein, professor of civil and environmental engineering is developing computer programs that can aid in the evaluation of geothermal sites, assessing both the potential power output and any potential risks, such as the triggering of seismic activity. Such triggering has already resulted in the premature closing two years ago of one test installation, in Basel, Switzerland, after some minor earthquakes (the largest being magnitude 3.4) were felt in the area. The planned software is based on programs Einstein has developed to assess proposed tunnel sites and landslide risks.

As is the case with tunnel construction, a great deal of the uncertainty with EGS has to do with the kind of rock encountered in the drilling and how that rock will fracture under pressure. Einstein’s software will be adapted to address the higher pressures encountered in the very deep boreholes needed for geothermal fields. Einstein suggests that the risks from seismic triggering are largely sociological, because the events seen so far, at least, are too small to produce any serious damage.

Einstein says geothermal electricity has the potential to take the place of essentially all stationary (that is, not transportation-related) power sources. “Basically, you could replace everything that’s around,” including the “baseload” power plants that can operate at any time, unlike sources such as solar or wind power. “So that’s certainly very promising,” he says. “It’s not completely infinite, but for all practical purposes it is.”

Source: MIT News

I believe geothermal energy will become the ultimate source of power. India and BD are bestowed with a cheaper source of such power. It is cheaper because of a Himalayan fault that starts at the foot of Himalaya and extends upto Thailand. Because of this fault, a needed geothermal heat may be available at a shallower depth.

For example, if 12 km is the normal depth where the heat is, say, 300*c, then in fault areas it may be at a depth of, say, only 6 km, making it cheaper. Assam, BD, Burma and Thailand have this source of heat. Thailand already has built a geothermal power plant.

Instead of building Tipaimukhi dam, India should go after and retrieve geothermal energy. BD can do the same at its own NE.

 

[leonblack08]

But won't that increase the seismic activity?More frequent earthquakes,as reported on the article.

 

[eastwatch]

But won't that increase the seismic activity?More frequent earthquakes,as reported on the article.

Yes, you are correct. I have read somewhere when an american company was drilling in California, it caused earthquake and the authorities there stopped the operation.

Technology must be fine-tuned for such an operation. The present day oil/gas drilling technologies are being used to make a drilling. But, deeper druillings cause earthquake.When Uncle Sam gives up hope for any new findings of oil, only then it will invest dollars to retrieve geothermal energy from underneath.

But, BD (and Mexico) has also another kind of energy. That is the energy from MOON-TIDE (Joar and Bhata and not sea waves). Bay of Bengal is full of this energy. Sometime in the past, I wrote a short article on this subject and sent to the daily Financial Express. They had printed it. This moon-tide energy is also unlimited. Only we need visionery people in the political parties.

 

[AVIAN]

Do you have any more data on solar energy projects in India other than home based photo voltic system.

Well I don't have any specific knowledge about this particuler system since I don't know much about the chemistry of such Solar system as you have mention. You can browse through the net for the same. You can visit Suzlon Energy system's website for that matter.