Enhanced geothermal systems can provide clean energy in areas where conventional geothermal systems are not viable. This Review discusses energy production through these systems and the technological developments that could enable its future expansion.
The technology for drilling deeper is getting better fast. There was a breakthrough by using microwaves to vaporize rock. It’s a triple duty method that cases the walls with glass rock, pressure from vapor pushes the condensed dust upwards and removes the material.
It eleminates the need for drilling sludge, excessively long metal rods etc. It’s still cheaper to drill conventionally for 3km but to reach the 10km for EGS it’s a lot cheaper. Drilling conventionally becomes exponentially more expensive with depth
The technology for drilling deeper is getting better fast. There was a breakthrough by using microwaves to vaporize rock. It’s a triple duty method that cases the walls with glass rock, pressure from vapor pushes the condensed dust upwards and removes the material.
It eleminates the need for drilling sludge, excessively long metal rods etc. It’s still cheaper to drill conventionally for 3km but to reach the 10km for EGS it’s a lot cheaper. Drilling conventionally becomes exponentially more expensive with depth