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Gran Canaria, Canarian Islands exploring its geothermal potential

Gran Canaria, Canarian Islands exploring its geothermal potential La Caldera de Tirajana (Hoya de Tunte) y el Mar de Nubes en Gran Canaria Islas Canarias (Source: Flickr, CC, By: El Coleccionista de Instantes)
Alexander Richter 24 Sep 2017

Gran Canaria an island in the group of the Canary Islands belong to Spain is exploring its geothermal potential with a recent study.

The island of Gran Canaria of the Canary Islands, an island group off the west coast of Africa whic belongs to Spain has recently carried out a study on its geothermal potential.

The study already has the measurements of 2,108 points to assess the heat of the subsoil, this would serve to generate electricity as explained by the president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, he pointed out that “For this first phase of the project, which will end in 2018, the Cabildo has allocated EUR 435,000 ($520,000) through the Insular Energy Council, endowment to which are added another EUR 100,000 contributed by the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan), which carries out these field studies.

Raul Garcia Brink, an Economic Development insular adviser, said: “The Involcan research team, which has the help of about twenty university students of eight nationalities, will carry out measurements at 3,140 points in Gran Canaria.” a blood test, and the other physical, or as an x-ray. ” According to García Brink, the part corresponding to the “blood test” consists in “sniffing” the earth to take geochemical parameters of gas emanations at 3,000 points of land in the north, northwest and east before November.

So also “X-rays” is to perform a series of geophysical studies of magnetotelúrica and concentrates on a hundred enclaves of which have already been studied 85, so that will reach the total in just two weeks. So researchers use coils and electrodes “to take measurements up to 10 kilometers deep.”

Nemesio Pérez, the scientific responsible for Involcan, explained that “It is a matter of knowing if there are geothermal reservoirs, on the one hand, and geological trap, on the other, that is to say, like the lid of a pot, both necessary for exploitation.” Scientists consider Gran Canaria volcanically active, for it must have produced at least one eruption in the last 10,000 years and in Gran Canarias there has been more than one, the last 2,000 years ago in Bandama.

On the other hand, the objective of the project is to conclude if there is potential exploitable geothermal, for which it has to be not much more than three kilometers deep.

Map_gran_canaria_geotermica

The president, Antonio Morales, emphasized that “Geothermal energy – explained from the Cabildo – is a natural source of energy stored in the earth in the form of heat that decreases the energy dependence of fossil fuels, such as oil; the environmental impact of its use is minimal, it brings economic savings and reduces CO2 emissions to the atmosphere “in addition,” the impact that geothermal energy can have on Gran Canaria is important, and if its potential is confirmed, it can equip the energy system renewable energy source, free of emissions and continuous production throughout the year, which would help reduce electricity generation costs, improve security of supply and guarantee environmental protection. ”

This type of energy use exists in the Azores, where the island of São Miguel, with 138,000 inhabitants, has two small geothermal plants with a power of 13 and 10 megawatts each that generate energy to supply 44% of local electricity demand.

Source: PiensaGeotermiaEnergias Renovables