www.news.com.au
August 08, 2009
AUSTRALIA'S largest drilling rig was officially opened in the northern Flinders Ranges yesterday, cementing South Australia's place at the forefront of geothermal energy exploration. SA is now home to Australia's two largest onshore drilling rigs, both of which are targeting geothermal energy at depths greater than 4km. The technology involves drilling wells 4-5km into the Earth's crust, circulating water between them through hot granite, and harvesting the heat when it returns to the surface.
Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said yesterday geothermal would play a key part in the nation's ambition to generate 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. But while the first commercial power generated from this project, slated for 2011, will go towards powering the nearby Beverley uranium mine, Mr Ferguson said there was no need for Australia to even debate the issue of nuclear energy. Premier Mike Rann said South Australia was leading the way with renewable energy, having attracted most geothermal energy spending in Australia – more than $800 million up until 2013.
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