Geothermal energy on the rise: the future of energy supply begins now!

Geothermal energy on the rise: the future of energy supply begins now!

Geothermal energy is increasingly being used as primary energy worldwide, providing a constant output known as base load. This is particularly advantageous under suitable geological conditions, as geothermal energy, unlike many other energy sources, does not exhibit significant fluctuations. A new trend in the use of geothermal energy is the use of AI supercomputers, which ensure uninterrupted operation through the constant base load. That reports Econews.

Another advantage of geothermal energy is the possibility of feeding waste heat into district heating networks. Despite the high investments in geothermal systems, operators are often faced with the risk of unproductive drilling. But once operations begin, these systems are independent of fluctuating energy market prices and weather conditions. A forecast from Rystad Energy expects growth in the geothermal energy sector to average 20% in the coming years.

Historical development and current use

The use of geothermal energy has a long history. Geothermal energy was already important in ancient times, especially in Rome, where it was used for bathing. The industrial exploitation of geothermal energy began in 1827 in Larderello, Italy. Today, geothermal energy is used in about 70 countries, with theoretical resources sufficient to meet global energy needs, especially near the boundaries of tectonic plates, according to a paper by Wikipedia.

In Germany, three regions have been well researched for the use of geothermal energy: the North German Basin, the South German Molasse Basin and the Upper Rhine Graben. There are numerous systems in these areas that use geothermal energy for heating, cooling and power generation. These include 32 systems for deep geothermal energy that only generate heat, as well as systems that generate both heat and electricity. The installed heat output in Germany is 407 MW and the electrical output is 46 MW EnergiNet reported.

Technology and challenges

The engineering use of geothermal energy occurs through two main methods: direct and indirect heat transfer. Direct use involves drawing hot water or steam directly from a water reservoir, while the indirect method pumps water through boreholes into hot rock layers, where it heats up before being returned to the surface. Many of the existing geothermal energy projects in Germany are examples of successful approaches such as those in Unterhaching, Insheim and Bruchsal.

However, despite the advantages, there are also challenges. The high technical and financial costs, geological risks and regulatory hurdles make the use of geothermal energy complex. In addition, there are potential risks such as seismic events and technical failure. Nevertheless, the federal government sees geothermal energy as a key technology for the heat transition, with the goal of equipping 500,000 houses with heat pumps every year, which underlines the importance of this sustainable energy source.