Adelaide Advertiser
Friday 12/6/2009 Page: 26
HOT rocks in the state's outback could reduce Australia's emissions by about 10%, a new report reveals. Environment group WWFAustralia has studied the potential for the emerging renewable source to provide emission-free electricity all year, independent of the weather, and be a source of employment.
SA has some of the world's best geothermal resources. The 270C hot rocks, several kilometres below the surface, can heat water pumped underground. The water can be used to generate electricity in a surface turbine before it is pumped below to be heated again. Geoscience Australia estimates using just 1% of the heat resource in the ground would provide enough electricity to produce 26,000 times Australia's annual energy consumption.
The report Power to Change: Australia's Geothermal Future, conducted with the Australian Geothermal Energy Association, found that introducing geothermal energy into the grid by 2050 would reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by electricity by 25%. The saving would lead to an overall reduction of Australia's emissions of 9%. AGEA chief executive Susan Jeanes said geothermal energy could provide all of Australia's electricity sustainably, without greenhouse gas emissions.
More Federal Government funding and policy changes must be made to speed up its implementation, she said. "SA, I suppose, is the heart of the geothermal industry in Australia at this stage.., as 70-80% of the work is happening in SA," she said. The report shows 318 people are employed in the nation's geothermal industry but 3800 jobs could be created by 2020, increasing to 9500 in 2030 and 17,300 in 2050. WWF-Australia chief executive Greg Bourne said the exciting thing about geothermal energy was it could supply power 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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