Geothermal Energy for the Benefit of the People

Abstract

Geothermal energy for electricity generation has been produced commercially since 1913, and for four decades on the scale of hundreds of MW both for electricity generation and direct use. The utilisation has increased rapidly during the last three decades. In 2000, geothermal resources have been identified in over 80 countries and there are quantified records of geothermal utilisation in 58 countries in the world. The worldwide use of geothermal energy amounts to 49 TWh/a of electricity and 53 TWh/a for direct use. Electricity is produced with geothermal steam in 21 countries spread over all continents. Five countries obtain 10-22% of their electricity from geothermal. Only a small fraction of the geothermal potential has been developed so far, and there is ample space for an accelerated use of geothermal energy both for electricity generation and direct applications. A comparison of the renewable energy sources (data from the UN World Energy Assessment Report) shows the current electrical energy cost to be 2-10 US