Geothermal

 What is geothermal?
Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy taken from the Earth’s core. It comes from heat
produced during the original formation of the planet and the radioactive decay of materials. This
thermal energy is stored in fluids and rocks in the centre of the earth.

 How does it work?

Geothermal power plants come in three different forms; flash, binary and dry steam.
 Binary plants use hot water passed through a secondary fluid that has a lower boiling
point than water. The secondary fluid is turned into vapour which drives a turbine. Most
future geothermal power plants are expected to be binary plants
 Flash plants pull high pressure hot water from underground and mix it with cooler low
pressure water. This, in turn, creates steam that is used to drive a turbine.
 The oldest type is dry steam, which takes steam directly from fractures in the ground to
drive a turbine.

Type of Geothermal
 . Dry-Steam Power Plants
Dry-steam power plants take advantage of natural underground sources of steam. The steam is
piped directly to a power plant, where it is used to fuel turbines and generate electricity. It is the
oldest type of power plant to generate electricity using geothermal energy. The first dry-steam
power plant was constructed in Larderello, Italy, in 1911. Today, the dry-steam power plants at
Larderello continue to supply electricity to more than a million residents of the area.
 Flash-Steam Power Plant
Flash-steam power plants use naturally occurring sources of underground hot water and steam.
Water that is hotter than 182° C (360° F) is pumped into a low-pressure area. Some of the water
“flashes,” or evaporates rapidly into steam, and is funneled out to power a turbine and generate
electricity. Any remaining water can be flashed in a separate tank to extract more energy.
Flash-steam power plants are the most common type of geothermal power plants. The
volcanically active island nation of Iceland supplies nearly all its electrical needs through a series
of flash-steam geothermal power plants. The steam and excess warm water produced by the
flash-steam process heat icy sidewalks and parking lots in the frigid Arctic winter.
  Binary Cycle Power Plants
Binary cycle power plants use a unique process to conserve water and generate heat. Water is
heated underground to about 107°-182° C (225°-360° F). The hot water is contained in a pipe,
which cycles above ground. The hot water heats a liquid organic compound that has a lower
boiling point than water. The organic liquid creates steam, which flows through a turbine and
powers a generator to create electricity. The only emission in this process is steam. The water in
the pipe is recycled back to the ground, to be re-heated by the Earth and provide heat for the
organic compound again.

 The use of energy from alternative sources and its importance to the Caribbean.

Alternative energy is energy that does not come from fossil fuels and so produces little or no
green.
Geothermal energy exists in different forms all over the Earth (by steam vents, lava, geysers, or
simply dry heat), and here are different possibilities for extracting and using this heat.
This energy source is referred to as “alternative” because it represents the alternative to coal, oil,
and natural gas, which have been the most common sources of energy since the Industrial
Revolution
Though geothermal energy is a more complex and expensive task than other renewable energy,
its significant benefits make it an ideal way for the Caribbean to gain greater energy
independence, reduce energy costs, and achieve sustainable development.
Access to energy is one of the most serious challenges faced by the Caribbean. As a result, it is
important for the region to improve energy efficiency as well as to promote the use of alternative
sources of energy.
Some Caribbean island such as Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis,
and St. Vincent and the Grenadines all exhibit immense untapped geothermal energy potential
because they have active volcanoes. St. Lucia for example has hot water bubbling out of the
ground.
Jamaica is not an active tectonic area but it does have faults running through the country so there
is some potential. However, it is costly to undertake.
Other Caribbean islands are facing different challenges. Some, such as Antigua and Barbuda,
simply have no geothermal potential. St Kitts and Nevis is drilling, with new production wells
set to be financed with the IDB facility. British overseas territory Montserrat has found
geothermal resources and plans to use them as a principle electricity source. Martinique, a
French overseas territory, which aims to be energy self-sufficient by 2030 by relying on
renewable energy, is verifying the presence of a geothermal reservoir.
Given the high cost of energy on the world market, geothermal energy offers an alternative
energy source with substantial economic benefits. Successful exploration of the geothermal
resources in St. Vincent and the Grenadines could satisfy a significant proportion of the island’s
current as well as future needs
Geothermal energy is a source of renewable energy that will last until the Earth is destroyed by
the sun in around 5 billion years. The hot reservoirs within the Earth are naturally replenished,
making it both
Since geothermal energy is a naturally occurring resource there is no fuel required, such as with
fossil fuels that are a finite resource which needs mining or otherwise extracting from the earth.

Reference

https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/
geothermalenergy#HowDoesGeothermalEnergyWork
https://www.saveonenergy.com/how-geothermal-energy-works/
https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/data-renewable-energy-markets-and-
resources/types-geothermal-power
https://www.greenfacts.org/en/geothermal-energy/index.htm#:~:text=It%20is%20considered
%20possible%20to,electricity%20need%20using%20geothermal%20resources.
https://studentenergy.org/source/geothermal/?
gclid=CjwKCAjwi6WSBhAEiwA6Niok0Fo6VsxSUsEBR2amS-
fhkb5QB89vYeOkvIxpbpJUhdyXPDrSsFJeRoCGngQAvD_BwE