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Renewable Energy
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy uses heat from the earth's
core as an energy source that is clean,  abundant,
and reliable. The heat is a harvested from geothermal
reservoirs, which are pockets of hot water and steam
trapped in permeable rocks, which are trapped under
impermeable rocks. This heat can be used in three applications.
The first and primary use is generation of electricity
using either the dry steam approach, where extremely
hot steam is used to move a turbine or flash steam where
hot water is collected and vaporizes at the surface
and turns a turbine to create electricity. Geothermal
energy can also be used to heat in a direct fashion,
which entails applications in homes or greenhouses.
The third application is using geothermal energy
for a ground source heat pump, in which geothermal energy
is used to warm reservoirs and houses.
Image
credit:
National Renewable Energy Lab, Photographic
Information Exchange
Recent Developments in
Geothermal Energy
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved US$3,720,000 funding to support the first phase of the innovative Geothermal Energy Development (GeoFund) Program in Europe and Central Asia. The GeoFund is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund. The grant for technical assistance and the risk insurance are the first in a series of envisaged projects in the aggregate amount of US$25 million over the next 8 years. The GeoFund is the first region-wide program of its kind; it is implemented jointly with IFC.
Adapted from a World Bank Press Release.
For more information on geothermal energy, see:
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