Szanyi, J.; Rybach, L.; Abdulhaq, H.A. Geothermal Energy and Its Potential for Critical Metal Extraction—A Review. Energies2023, 16, 7168.
Szanyi, J.; Rybach, L.; Abdulhaq, H.A. Geothermal Energy and Its Potential for Critical Metal Extraction—A Review. Energies 2023, 16, 7168.
Szanyi, J.; Rybach, L.; Abdulhaq, H.A. Geothermal Energy and Its Potential for Critical Metal Extraction—A Review. Energies2023, 16, 7168.
Szanyi, J.; Rybach, L.; Abdulhaq, H.A. Geothermal Energy and Its Potential for Critical Metal Extraction—A Review. Energies 2023, 16, 7168.
Abstract
Geothermal energy is a weather-independent, permanently available renewable energy source. In addition to producing heat and electricity, geothermal energy can be used to extract critical raw materials dissolved in the heat-carrying fluid. Researchers working on the frontiers of geothermal energy utilisation may be able to transform ultra-deep metallic mineral formations into “orebody-Enhanced Geothermal Systems”. In the planned technology, the metal-containing geological formation would be manipulated in such a way that cogeneration of energy and metals is possible and can be optimised in the future according to market needs. The potential of geothermal energy for sustainable mineral extraction and energy production aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. This new technology could substantially decrease Europe’s dependency on importing critical metallic minerals (such as lithium and tungsten) and energy; over and above, it has a small environmental footprint, including very low carbon emissions
Keywords
geothermal energy utilization; critical raw materials (CRM); Combined Heat Power and Metal Extraction (CHPM); Petrothermal Enhanced Geothermal System (PEGS)
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Geology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
