The Western Australia Sustainable Energy Association (WA SEA) has welcomed an announcement by geothermal proponent Green Rock Energy Limited of the receipt of $7 million in federal funding towards its proposed geothermal test well at WA University’s Crawley Campus.
Geothermal energy, the so-called "hot rocks" renewable energy source, has the potential to provide a realistic alternative to traditional dirty fossil fuel power stations.
People have been enjoying the benefits of geothermal energy for centuries, from the Romans bathing in hot springs to American tourists gazing in awe at geysers in Yellowstone National Park.
It works like this: the Earth is essentially a gigantic ball of molten lava, with a thin crust on top. We see evidence of this every time a volcano erupts or an earthquake occurs as that crust shifts around on the sea of molten rock. By drilling down into the earth’s crust, closer to this massive heat source, humans can utilise the heat to power turbines without having to burn coal or gas – therefore without emitting carbon and polluting the atmosphere.
"Our economy must move to emissions free energy solutions if we are to create a 21st Century economy in a decarbonised world, and this funding from the Commonwealth will encourage further innovative investment in energy in WA,”" said Professor Ray Wills, Chief Executive of WA SEA.
Green Rock Energy Managing Director Richard Beresford said the wells could potentially provide the campus with enough renewable energy to significantly reduce electricity demand.
"This is a significant step towards funding our proposed project at The University of Western Australia’s Crawley Campus where we plan to drill two wells and test the system water flow to prove that commercial quantities of geothermal energy can be delivered from depths of about 3,000 metres," he said.
