Geothermal- Why would this be a bad idea?

[0bserver]

On the face of it, the proposal sounds sensible. 

Is there a reason why this would be any less suitable than massive wind farms? 

 

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/geothermal-energy-could-make-island-self-sufficient/

Edited April 22, 2022 by 0bserver

[finlo]

Being ever the cynic I'm getting a whiff of snake oil.

[0bserver]

1 minute ago, finlo said:

Being ever the cynic I'm getting a whiff of snake oil.

I get that whiff with all green projects to be fair.

[TheTeapot]

We aren't Iceland.

[0bserver]

6 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

We aren't Iceland.

Always preferred Tesco 

[2112]

I don’t think it would matter if the island was abundant with geothermal energy, loads of wind, solar and tidal, the Manx population would end up paying through the nose for the privilege. Also IOMG would have a field day blowing money on pie in the sky schemes, endless dickwaving and endless recruitment of more civil servants. Meanwhile, the bills will be landing on the mats, and the poor will be deciding whether, to pay the rent, put the heating on or deciding what they can afford to eat and that’s dependent on whether it requires cooking.

[0bserver]

4 minutes ago, 2112 said:

Also IOMG would have a field day blowing money on pie in the sky schemes, endless dickwaving and endless recruitment of more civil servants. Meanwhile, the bills will be landing on the mats, and the poor will be deciding whether, to pay the rent, put the heating on or deciding what they can afford to eat and that’s dependent on whether it requires cooking.

I mean that's kind of happening already and we don't even have a single new energy scheme. Daffy was sharing her latest non-job only yesterday. 

[2112]

2 hours ago, 0bserver said:

I mean that's kind of happening already and we don't even have a single new energy scheme. Daffy was sharing her latest non-job only yesterday. 

I’m sure that Chris Thomas’s new ‘Board’ will be creating its own little empire before long. Probably start with a government building as it’s headquarters, to be staffed with a new battalion of civil servants, flunkies and its own press team. It’s going to take years before anything substantial and meaningful is delivered. 

[2112]

2 hours ago, finlo said:

Being ever the cynic I'm getting a whiff of snake oil.

I’m sure some with vested interests will be getting the whiff of lots of lovely money. As IOMG have proved time and time again, capital infrastructure projects have overrun and over spent. No accountability by civil servants and to some extent consultants. The taxpayers will end up funding pipe dreams, nothing will occur, no jobs created either.

Edited April 22, 2022 by 2112

[Happier diner]

I'm afraid geothermal energy is quite a way down the league table of feasible options. 

Yes it's a great untapped reserve but the expensive bit is drilling down to get it and then turning it I to electricity. 

It's possible but he is massively underestimating the complexity and upfront investment. 

Why would you do that when wind energy is a zillion times cheaper

[Chinahand]

The issue is that apart from in areas with active volcanism the net heat flow is low. The rocks might be hot but once you cool them down to boil water into steam for your thermal plant it takes a long time to heat up again. You get the energy once then have to wait ages for it to get hot again.

Prof David MacKay has a good explanation of this in his book Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air. You only get 50 milliwatts per m2 on average. Hence you've got to continually dig/drill to find new hot areas as you deplete the heat. 

[The Bastard]

Putting 2112's depressed cries-for-help aside, it would be worth investigating. It's still at a comparatively early stage in development, but the technology is being tried in Cornwall (the United Downs project near Redruth) and in Germany and Scandinavia, which aren't generally known for volcanism. There are some new drilling technologies based on lasers which make the deep borehole-drilling process easier, which makes it a much more practical proposition than it was. I'm not sure if modern geothermal plants need constant redrilling - most modern plants use boreholes of such depth that the volume of water used doesn't cool the rocks significantly. The IOM has the right geology in places - the Cornish project is focusing on Granite, and the geological Manx group is intruded by Granite, notably the Foxdale Granite and the Poortown Gabbro. I think it's still developing as a technology, but medium to long term, it could be a significant source of energy. Not a cheap project to set up, but done right, it could have real self-sufficiency potential for a small island like ours. 

[2112]

48 minutes ago, The Bastard said:

Putting 2112's depressed cries-for-help aside, it would be worth investigating. It's still at a comparatively early stage in development, but the technology is being tried in Cornwall (the United Downs project near Redruth) and in Germany and Scandinavia, which aren't generally known for volcanism. There are some new drilling technologies based on lasers which make the deep borehole-drilling process easier, which makes it a much more practical proposition than it was. I'm not sure if modern geothermal plants need constant redrilling - most modern plants use boreholes of such depth that the volume of water used doesn't cool the rocks significantly. The IOM has the right geology in places - the Cornish project is focusing on Granite, and the geological Manx group is intruded by Granite, notably the Foxdale Granite and the Poortown Gabbro. I think it's still developing as a technology, but medium to long term, it could be a significant source of energy. Not a cheap project to set up, but done right, it could have real self-sufficiency potential for a small island like ours. 

If you think that it’s such a goer, (invest)and it’s got legs, bearing in mind - it’s the IOM, and there are more hoops to jump through than a tin of spaghetti hoops. Also bear in mind, IOMG will want to get its sticky mitts and interfere in whatever goes on, not forgetting the busy body politicos. Also bear in mind IOMG track record on capital projects. If the IOMG were a success story in capital infrastructure projects. The private sector can take the risk. 

[Passing Time]

8 hours ago, The Bastard said:

Putting 2112's depressed cries-for-help aside, it would be worth investigating. It's still at a comparatively early stage in development, but the technology is being tried in Cornwall (the United Downs project near Redruth) and in Germany and Scandinavia, which aren't generally known for volcanism. There are some new drilling technologies based on lasers which make the deep borehole-drilling process easier, which makes it a much more practical proposition than it was. I'm not sure if modern geothermal plants need constant redrilling - most modern plants use boreholes of such depth that the volume of water used doesn't cool the rocks significantly. The IOM has the right geology in places - the Cornish project is focusing on Granite, and the geological Manx group is intruded by Granite, notably the Foxdale Granite and the Poortown Gabbro. I think it's still developing as a technology, but medium to long term, it could be a significant source of energy. Not a cheap project to set up, but done right, it could have real self-sufficiency potential for a small island like ours. 

Thanks Daphne

[The Bastard]

38 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

Thanks Daphne

I'm only Daphne at weekends. Thanks Sir Jimmy.