{"id":1718,"date":"2021-05-06T11:09:04","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T11:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=1718"},"modified":"2021-05-11T10:11:06","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T10:11:06","slug":"qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

The smouldering heat generated during the formation of our planet and the continuous decay of radioactive material lies trapped within the Earth\u2019s crust, just waiting to be tapped to satisfy humanity\u2019s insatiable demand for heat and electricity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

It sounds deceptively simple \u2014 drill a well into the Earth and bring piping steam or hot water to the surface to power a turbine that generates electricity, and in some parts of the world it is readily being used in this way. The resource also ticks multiple other boxes \u2014\u00a0it is renewable, it generates a fraction of the greenhouse emissions fossil fuels do, and unlike its solar and wind counterparts, it is not tethered to temperamental weather fluctuations.<\/p>\n

The only problem is \u2014\u00a0we don\u2019t always know where to drill, and even if we find the right places, the conditions needed to harness this form of energy aren\u2019t always optimal, says Inga Berre, a professor at the University of Bergen in Norway. She is working on mathematical models that will help scientists move beyond exploiting easily accessible geothermal energy and access energy from so-called unconventional resources.<\/p>\n

What is the current state of geothermal energy technology?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the moment, a very small proportion of the total power generated globally comes from geothermal resources. This energy is most readily available in volcanically and\/or tectonically active regions such as parts of the United States and Iceland. About 30 countries are currently using deep geothermal energy for electricity. (Overall), about 90 countries utilise (shallow or deep) geothermal energy for direct use, for example district heating.<\/p>\n

To use deep geothermal energy, you need fluids \u2014\u00a0water in the form of liquid or vapour to transfer the heat from within. The oldest geothermal \u2018dry steam\u2019 technology \u2014 first used in a power generator in 1904 in Tuscany, Italy \u2014\u00a0harnessed natural steam out of fractures in the ground to directly drive a turbine. \u2018Flash steam\u2019 plants drag deep, high-pressure hot water into cooler, low-pressure water \u2014 the resulting steam is used to propel the turbine. Finally, \u2018binary cycle\u2019 plants enable power production from lower temperature water than the other technologies as they transfer the heat from geothermal hot water to another liquid with a much lower boiling point. The heat causes the second liquid to turn to steam, which powers the turbine.<\/p>\n

Why isn\u2019t geothermal energy as popular as other renewable sources?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you’re interested in generating heat or power you need to know what is feasible in the region you’re in. In some locations, the Earth\u2019s subsurface is rather well characterised, but for vast regions, not so much. It is really difficult to know what type of geothermal resources are available before you drill. Scientists can do surface investigations, but to really know\u00a0you need to drill in.<\/p>\n

Although there are some places where heat is easily accessible by drilling wells, it’s not only about\u00a0drilling deeper to access higher temperatures<\/a>. We also want to drill in the right places, because we need the presence of fluid, and high permeability \u2014 porous structures and fractures to transmit hot geothermal water from the reservoir to production wells.<\/p>\n

Easily accessible geothermal resources are limited. If we really want to utilise this enormous resource, we need to go down to greater depths, access higher temperatures and stimulate or engineer reservoirs, so that fluid can flow more easily. And if we are to access higher temperatures, we need to further develop drilling technology materials and so forth, but we also need to better understand the processes in the Earth\u2019s subsurface.<\/p>\n

So, there is a high upfront risk of developing a geothermal system. You need to drill the first well before you can understand how productive your system will be, or if it will be productive at all, and this is costly.<\/p>\n

What are the conventional and unconventional sources of geothermal energy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conventional hydrothermal resources are found less than 2,000 metres under the surface and involve harnessing temperatures of more than 225 degrees Celsius. At such temperatures you can utilise more traditional power plants, but if you have lower temperatures (down to 125 degrees Celsius), you can still produce power by using binary power plants. At the moment, there is lots of untapped potential to harness geothermal technology in regions such as South America and Africa.<\/p>\n

Typically, unconventional resources involve accessing either higher temperatures or deeper depths \u2014\u00a0or reservoirs that don\u2019t sufficiently support the flow of fluids. To address this limitation, scientists are working on \u2018enhanced\u2019 geothermal systems (EGS) technology designed to improve the natural reservoir. This involves injecting water at high pressure to stimulate opening of pre-existing fracture networks. This can enhance productivity, and even enable the production of electricity economically in a reservoir that otherwise would not have been economical.<\/p>\n

But reservoir stimulation is not without risk. The process of stimulating fractured rocks can set off a chain of reactions under Earth\u2019s surface that can induce earthquakes. There have been cases where EGS has triggered\u00a0earthquakes that have been relatively big<\/a>, so this is definitely a risk that needs to be mitigated.<\/p>\n

My\u00a0ERC (European Research Council) funded project<\/a>\u00a0is finding ways to expand the use of geothermal resources by tapping into higher temperatures as well as exploiting areas where there is not sufficient permeability in the rocks for fluid extraction. One way to do the latter is to inject water at high pressure to stimulate the opening of pre-existing fracture networks. This triggers a cascade of events within the rock formation, and given we have very limited access to the subsurface, it is possible only indirectly to monitor what is going on. We are developing equations and simulation technology to predict these dynamics \u2014\u00a0so these mathematic models can sort of create a window to the subsurface.<\/p>\n

\u2018There is a high upfront risk of developing a geothermal system.\u2019<\/p>\n

Prof. Inga Berre, University of Bergen, Norway<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What does the future of geothermal energy look like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This resource has a high upfront (financial) risk associated with it\u00a0so it is important that we develop a better knowledge of how this energy can be used in different geological settings. I think we need more demonstration projects to test new technologies and to gather data \u2014 we really also need the basic science.<\/p>\n

While other renewables like solar and wind are popular, they are fluctuating resources. There is a need for resources like geothermal energy that can provide baseload power because it doesn’t depend on weather conditions. I think the more fluctuating renewable resources are adopted, in general, the more important geothermal energy will be. I see it playing an important, part in the energy ecosystem,\u00a0but it’s definitely not a solution to our energy challenges on its own.<\/p>\n

Updated 11\/5\/2021: An earlier version of this piece said injecting fluid at high pressure forms fractures and folds in the rocks. This piece has been clarified to say that doing so stimulates the opening of pre-existing fracture networks.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Prof. Berre\u2019s project,\u00a0<\/em>MaPSI<\/em><\/a>, is the\u00a010,000th\u00a0<\/sup>grant<\/a>\u00a0to be awarded by the EU\u2019s European Research Council.<\/em><\/p>\n

Originally published on Horizon Magazine<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The smouldering heat generated during the formation of our planet and the continuous decay of radioactive material lies trapped within the Earth\u2019s crust, just waiting to be tapped to satisfy humanity\u2019s insatiable demand for heat and electricity. It sounds deceptively simple \u2014 drill a well into the Earth and bring piping steam or hot water … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":1719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[233,421,422],"class_list":["post-1718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-energy-environment","tag-erc","tag-geothermal","tag-renewables"],"yoast_head":"\nQ&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The smouldering heat generated during the formation of our planet and the continuous decay of radioactive material lies trapped within the Earth\u2019s crust, just waiting to be tapped to satisfy humanity\u2019s insatiable demand for heat and electricity. It sounds deceptively simple \u2014 drill a well into the Earth and bring piping steam or hot water ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-06T11:09:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-05-11T10:11:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/05\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\"},\"headline\":\"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-06T11:09:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-05-11T10:11:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1190,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"erc\",\"geothermal\",\"renewables\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Earth, Energy & Environment\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2021\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/\",\"name\":\"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-06T11:09:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-05-11T10:11:06+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"At present, only a small proportion of the total power generated globally comes from geothermal resources, says Prof. Inga Berre. Image credit - \u00c1sgeir Eggertsson, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1718\\\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/horizon.magazine.eu\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/HorizonMagEU\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/horizonmagazine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use","og_description":"The smouldering heat generated during the formation of our planet and the continuous decay of radioactive material lies trapped within the Earth\u2019s crust, just waiting to be tapped to satisfy humanity\u2019s insatiable demand for heat and electricity. It sounds deceptively simple \u2014 drill a well into the Earth and bring piping steam or hot water ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","article_published_time":"2021-05-06T11:09:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-05-11T10:11:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/05\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Horizon Magazine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Horizon Magazine","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/"},"author":{"name":"Horizon Magazine","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679"},"headline":"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use","datePublished":"2021-05-06T11:09:04+00:00","dateModified":"2021-05-11T10:11:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/"},"wordCount":1190,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/05\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg","keywords":["erc","geothermal","renewables"],"articleSection":["Earth, Energy & Environment"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2021","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/","name":"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/05\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg","datePublished":"2021-05-06T11:09:04+00:00","dateModified":"2021-05-11T10:11:06+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/05\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/05\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg","width":1024,"height":768,"caption":"At present, only a small proportion of the total power generated globally comes from geothermal resources, says Prof. Inga Berre. Image credit - \u00c1sgeir Eggertsson, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1718\/qa-why-unconventional-resources-are-key-to-expanding-geothermal-energy-use\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Q&A: Why unconventional resources are key to expanding geothermal energy use"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679","name":"Horizon Magazine","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Horizon Magazine"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU"],"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/horizonmagazine\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/05\/Krafla_geothermal_power_station_wiki-HD.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-rI","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2066,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2066\/waste-not-want-watts-turning-waste-into-energy\/","url_meta":{"origin":1718,"position":0},"title":"Waste not, want watts \u2013 turning waste into energy","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"June 16, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The race is on to reuse waste as energy in the most effective way possible.\u00a0Combined heat and power is an old idea for saving fuel with a new imperative to slash emissions. Innovative furnaces based on biofuel systems will generate heat and power from waste materials with near-complete efficiency and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/jun16.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/jun16.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/jun16.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/jun16.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/jun16.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2240,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2240\/realising-a-century-old-dream-to-make-electricity-from-air\/","url_meta":{"origin":1718,"position":1},"title":"Realising a century-old dream to make electricity from air","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"December 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"European research is expanding clean-energy options, bolstering the EU\u2019s goal to become climate-neural by 2050. By\u00a0\u00a0MICHAEL ALLEN As the European Union strives for climate neutrality by mid-century, a mother-and-son-team is helping to tackle a potential hurdle: the limited number of renewable-energy sources driving the EU\u2019s shift away from fossil fuels.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/17.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/17.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/17.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/17.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/17.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/17.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1342,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1342\/how-europes-city-facades-and-pavements-are-being-used-to-harvest-clean-energy\/","url_meta":{"origin":1718,"position":2},"title":"How Europe\u2019s city fa\u00e7ades and pavements are being used to harvest clean energy","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"July 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Building fa\u00e7ades and pavements in Dutch and Italian cities are being turned into smart, energy-harvesting surfaces and equipped with sensors to power, heat and cool spaces and even monitor roads. Europeans have become used to seeing solar panels on the roofs of buildings. But there are plenty of other man-made\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A coat of special green paint used on panels at a school gym in Almere, the Netherlands, helps the panels absorb sunlight for heating and for hot water. Image credit - Emergo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/07\/header.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/07\/header.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/07\/header.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/07\/header.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/07\/header.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/07\/header.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1798,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1798\/cooler-data-centres-help-take-the-heat-off-electric-bills\/","url_meta":{"origin":1718,"position":3},"title":"Cooler data centres help take the heat off electric bills","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"August 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"From streaming movies or games and sharing photos on Instagram to the growing use of \u2018smart\u2019 devices and growth in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the amount of data being processed is escalating. As a result, energy consumption of data centres in the European Union (EU) is expected to rise from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/08\/HM_cooling-datacentres1_Yentafern-Shutterstock_136294739.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/08\/HM_cooling-datacentres1_Yentafern-Shutterstock_136294739.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/08\/HM_cooling-datacentres1_Yentafern-Shutterstock_136294739.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/08\/HM_cooling-datacentres1_Yentafern-Shutterstock_136294739.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/08\/HM_cooling-datacentres1_Yentafern-Shutterstock_136294739.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/08\/HM_cooling-datacentres1_Yentafern-Shutterstock_136294739.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2479,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2479\/tapping-the-sun-for-renewable-hydrogen\/","url_meta":{"origin":1718,"position":4},"title":"Tapping the Sun for renewable hydrogen","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"September 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As Europe turns increasingly to clean sources of energy, EU researchers are on a quest to make hydrogen from solar rays and heat. By\u00a0\u00a0TOM CASSAUWERS In July 2023, when southern Europe endured an unprecedented heatwave with temperatures soaring to around 45 \u00b0C, a particular place in Spain got much hotter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/09\/1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/09\/1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/09\/1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/09\/1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/09\/1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/09\/1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2335,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2335\/the-people-power-being-harnessed-for-cleaner-and-cheaper-energy\/","url_meta":{"origin":1718,"position":5},"title":"The people power being harnessed for cleaner and cheaper energy","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"March 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As Europe weans itself off fossil fuels, local energy networks are tapping renewable sources to fill the gap and cut consumer bills. By\u00a0\u00a0ANDREW DUNNE They might look like ordinary plugs, but hook up a heat pump or electric-vehicle charger using one of the smart widgets and the result could be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/29.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/29.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/29.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/29.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1718"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1718\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}