Have you ever been to a natural warm spring and wondered how the water gets hot and how the heat is generated? Well, that phenomenon is due to a form of energy referred to as Geothermal Energy. However, unlike other energy sources, geothermal energy is yet to gain much traction.
Geothermal energy is the energy gotten from deep beneath the earth’s surface. This energy is due to the slow decay of radioactive particles in the earth’s core. Geothermal energy is not so popular because its reservoirs are deep within the planet and are largely undetectable above ground. However, this energy source burrows its way to the earth surface in the form of Volcanoes, Hot springs and Geysers.
Is it also a renewable energy source?
Geothermal like solar, wind, and hydro are renewable energy sources because of their unlimited abundance. Its extraction also occurs without the use of fossil fuels. Typically, geothermal fields produce only about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide produced by a relatively clean naturally-gas-fueled power plant. Therefore, geothermal energy is classified as a clean energy source due to its low emission levels, and its byproducts can be reinjected into the ground.
What Countries Use Geothermal Energy?
Despite its abundance, very little amount of geothermal energy has been harnessed. However, considering the urgent need for energy independence and clean energy transitions worldwide, countries have begun exploring methods of harvesting this resource into their energy mix.
Currently, the United States is the global leader when referring to geothermal electricity generation. In 2020 alone, the country produced 17 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), an equivalent of 0.4 per cent of total US utility-scale electricity generation. Indonesia comes after the United States as the second-largest geothermal electricity producer with a production rate of about 14 billion kWh (5 per cent of the country’s total electricity generation).
In Africa, Kenya is the largest geothermal energy producer. More than 40 per cent of the country’s electricity generation comes from this resource. Other countries like Ethiopia, Burundi, Zambia, and Uganda currently operate small-scale geothermal facilities.
Opportunities in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the continuous power supply challenges are a fundamental issue affecting the country’s economic development. However, the government is still far behind in tapping into the abundance of geothermal resources. The Ikogosi warm spring in Southwestern Nigeria is one of the many good pieces of ecological evidence of inherent geothermal energy.