In myth and fantasy oil production profoundly enough into the Earth awakens demons orBalrogs , but Icelanders are undiscouraged . They are digging 5 kilometer ( 3 miles ) into the Earth to stir up a sleeping giant , but one they believe they can control to grow Brobdingnagian amounts of electricity .
Iceland is already one of the low carbon - emitting commonwealth in the cosmos , with 70 per centum of electricity produced from hydroelectric plant , while geothermal makes up the rest period . There are also proposition for anundersea cableto supply clean energy to Britain . However , proposals to build more dams in the spectacularly beautiful highland have arousedfierce protest , work the focus back on geothermal .
A slash of lot seven years ago has inspiredIceland Drillingto look into a direction to get more energy from the rocks beneath the island using high - temperature geothermal boring . It ’s break down to bore deep enough to tap the DOE from the molten magma that moves under Iceland ’s rugged landscape .
geothermic energy render a source of power in many places where volcanism lend the heat of the Earth ’s mantle close to the aerofoil . pee , whether from natural reservoirs or added by humans , is turned to steam , which is then used to drive turbine . In 2009 , the Iceland Deep Drilling Project ( IDDP ) deal what was meant to be a conventional , if remarkably recondite , practice session into hot rocks , which hit a magma reservoir .
The IDDP experimented by putting water supply into the drill hollow and got a well capable of producing 30 megawatts ( MW ) of power , although corrosion shut it down before it could be connected to the power system . This inspired the mind of deliberately tapping much larger magma reservoirs , such as the one that sits 5 kilometers ( 3 miles ) beneath theReykjanes peninsula . The peninsula is the only position where the Mid - Atlantic Ridge protrudes above sea level .
oil production began in August , and extend to a depth of 3 kilometers ( 2 mi ) onSeptember 7 . The goal is to use the combination of great heating ( as much as 1000ºC or 1800ºF ) and high air pressure ( 200 atmospheres ) to produce supercritical H2O , which stockpile much more energy than normal steam . Even after the long journeying to the surface , the steam is expected to be 400 - 600ºC ( 750 - 1100ºF ) .
distinctive geothermal station produce 5 MW per well , but it is hoped that those that reach the magma reservoirs will acquire 50 MW . The run has been named Thor in recognition of its potential superpower .
The pickle would not set a track record for profoundness , but drilling into magma is an entirely different matter from grueling rock , and the high temperature will do terrible thing to the equipment .
“ dim smokers ” where magma encounter sea water along mid - oceanic ridge , are often surrounded by Au and silver sedimentation . Something similar may be find here under Reykjanes , although mining them would be commercially challenging , to say the least .
Iceland Drilling already has operations at volcanic locations outside its home island . If Thor succeeds , Iceland Drilling hopes to practise even deeper in other parts of the world , providing a new source of renewable energy for the planet .
[ H / T : New Scientist ]
