Iceland will tunnel into a volcano to tap into virtually unlimited geothermal power
Iceland will tunnel into a volcano to tap into virtually unlimited geothermal power
Iceland's Krafla Magma Testbed project aims to transform renewable energy by tapping into a volcano's magma chamber.
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Iceland gets the vast majority of its power from geothermal, but this is the first time they're drilling into an active volcano.
It'll be an interesting experiment, and hopefully will help bring even more clean energy possibilities to the world.
Well... First time on purpose
From the article:
But we know for sure it can be done because in 2009 a nearby Icelandic geothermal plant accidentally drilled into Krafla's magma chamber. The incident revealed important insights about the liquid state and dynamic interactions of the magma, although the drill's steel casings were obliterated in the process. On the bright side, this incursion also showed that exposing the magma chamber doesn't cause volcanoes to erupt.
Best "on the bright side" I have ever read.
I love how it's first "Oh, we had some great findings." and only second "And no one died.".
We get the vast majority from hydroelectric energy, since we have huge glacial rivers.
For now