Science & Technology

Can we generate electricity from lava ?

By T.K. Randall
February 9, 2014

Image: Pahoehoe Lava
Credit: Rufiyaa / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) The idea originated from an accidental encounter with the molten material that took place when scientists working on a geothermal borehole project in Iceland accidentally hit upon a pocket of lava that spewed superheated steam for two years.

This steam, scientists argued, could be harnessed as an effective way to produce electricity."Drilling into magma is a very rare occurrence and this is only the second known instance anywhere in the world," said Professor Wilfred Elders of the University of California. "This could lead to a revolution in the energy efficiency of high-temperature geothermal projects in the future."

The team concluded that the steam from the borehole was capable of generating up to 36 MW of electrical power.

Source: Zee News

Tags: Lava, Power, Electricity