A geothermal power plant generates electricity by harnessing the heat that naturally exists beneath the Earth’s surface. These plants have been around since the early 1900s, and they can be built anywhere there is a geothermal reservoir. The majority of these are found along the tectonic plate boundaries. A geothermal power plant can convert heat from the Earth into energy in three different ways, all of which require the use of steam-powered turbines.
The first geothermal power plant was constructed in Tuscany, Italy, in 1904. Steam was already erupting through the Earth’s crust at this location, making it simple to harness and convert this energy into electricity. Energy from geothermal reservoirs had previously been used as a heat source, but it had not been stored for later use.
The most common type of geothermal power plant involves pumping hot water from a geothermal reservoir and converting it to steam, which is then used to drive a turbine. A flash steam plant is the name for this type of plant. When the steam cools and condenses into liquid water, it is usually reintroduced into the system to be heated by the Earth once more. In most cases, drilling to a depth of between 1 and 2 miles (1.6 and 3.2 km) below the surface is required to reach a supply of water with sufficient pressure to run this type of plant. x000D_
Another common type of geothermal power plant captures steam as it escapes the earth’s crust and uses it to drive a turbine. Because steam, often in the form of geysers, erupts naturally, these plants, known as dry steam plants, do not require drilling. Geothermal power plants can be made from binary cycle power plants. Hot water from beneath the Earth’s surface is used to turn another liquid into steam in these plants.
A geothermal power plant produces very little pollution in most cases. The majority of them produce water as a byproduct, which is frequently captured and recycled for later use. Impurities and other chemicals found in the water beneath the Earth’s surface can be captured before the water is released into the environment, reducing the pollution caused by the plant. These plants often emit less than 5% of the pollution that fossil-fuel-burning plants do.