Iceland is already one of the world’s greatest users and suppliers of geothermal energy, producing nearly 26 percent of its energy from geothermal sources. Now the country is taking it a step further by boring a hole that extends 3.1 miles beneath the earth to take advantage of the extreme pressure and heat that constantly boils at that depth. Scientists say that by drilling this far into the ground, Iceland will be able to tap into an impressive 30 to 50 megawatts of electricity from a single geothermal well. That’s more than 10 times as much as any conventional geothermal well. Scientists hope that by displaying the success of this deep well, they will be able to stop smaller geothermal holes, which means less environmental impact.
Drilling for good: Iceland is making a giant hole to capture geothermal energy
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