Volcanos are destructive force of nature which primarily uses the molten rocks on the core of the earth called magma. The temperature of the magma goes up to 4000 °C which can easily melt anything in it’s path and also spread deadly bacterial gases. But in the late 18th century an Italian scientist, Prince Piero Ginori Conti, first discovered to take the magma to his advantage and created geothermal energy.
With this discovery geothermal is then classified in the thermal/steam power classification, compare to the other thermal power there are solar panel and thermal energy plant. Solar panel absorb the sunlight to be converted to electricity while thermal plant create heat with natural gas, heating oil, coal and other heat able materials. Compare from the both of them solar panel is 100% environmental friendly but it’s pointless without sunlight while thermal plant create a massive amount of greenhouse gases. With those two aside it could be said that geothermal energy is in the middle between the both of them.
Geothermal plants are usually located near a tectonic plate border or hotspots (stored magma underground which have a possibility of creating a volcano), geothermal plants also like to relocate to a hotspot with the temperature of around above 200 °C.
Currently there are only 2 types of geothermal energy which are
Liquid-dominated plants (LDRs)
The way LDRs works is basically inject water which then the steam of the water is separated from the liquid via cyclone separators, while the liquid is returned to the reservoir for reheating/reuse. This method is the most common and most beneficial way to harness geothermal energy but this process creates greenhouse gases at the end.
Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)
While the EGS works different from LDRs, EGS inject water under high pressure to expand existing rock fissures to enable the water to freely flow in and out. This techniques was referenced from oil and gas extraction techniques. This method require the hole to inject the water to be deeper which makes it more difficult but there’s no toxic chemicals are used and reduced the possibility of environmental damage.
Even with all those condition the question still asked, can Indonesia create geothermal energy? The answer is yes. With the location of Indonesia being at a tropical climate, part of the ring of fire and near a tectonic plate border could be said that Indonesia is one of the best place to start a geothermal plant. In the past year, 2020, Indonesia is placed second on creating the most geothermal energy with a megawatt (MW) of 2.133 MW which can power over a million average house.
With that being said both a bright and gloomy future is seen in the Geothermal industry which is have it’s pros and cons. If someone would've mass produce geothermal energy then it could effect the entire earth because of the heat in the magma is disappearing. The presence of magma is crucial to understanding the geology and morphology of the mantle, the earth does a rifting movement which then create empty space between the crust but with the colden magma which comes out to seal and create a new crust.
In conclusion, it’s fine to get Geothermal energy but you must always, always keep in mind that magma could still run out even though it’s a renewable resource. If geothermal energy plant uses too much magma then we could certainly be in trouble, even magma can run out although it’s a renewable resource it could still run out and cause massive destruction upon the world, so for the ones making geothermal energy be carful.
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