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The Climate Question
Why don’t we use more geothermal energy?
Oct 7, 2024
This week, Christian Freytag, from Vulcan Energy Resources, and Moroccan geologist Amal Barish, share insights on geothermal energy's untapped potential. They discuss innovative projects that combine geothermal power with lithium extraction, highlighting the challenges and profitability of this renewable source. Amal reveals plans to drill into volcanic magma in Iceland, which could revolutionize geothermal energy. The conversation also touches on community concerns in Indonesia regarding local geothermal initiatives, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices.
26:28
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Quick takeaways
- Geothermal energy, despite its potential being 50,000 times greater than all oil and gas reserves, remains underutilized due to high upfront drilling costs.
- Innovative projects like drilling into volcanic magma and lithium extraction from geothermal brine are emerging to enhance profitability and drive broader adoption of geothermal energy.
Deep dives
Vast Potential of Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is derived from the Earth's internal heat, which is abundant and reliable, yet accounts for less than 1% of global energy generation. The heat present in just the upper 10 kilometers of the Earth's crust contains an astonishing 50,000 times more energy than all of the world's oil and gas reserves combined. This immense potential for clean energy has raised questions about why geothermal sources are not more widely utilized, especially considering that they do not suffer from the intermittency issues associated with wind and solar energy. Understanding the full capacity for geothermal power could significantly impact energy strategies worldwide.
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Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode