Hey gang! Welcome back to the blog. I recently came across some exciting ideas for renewable energy in the form of hydrothermal vents. So now you’re probably thinking, “Mark, I don’t know what that form of energy is, but it sounds pretty cool.” Well, it is cool (well, it’s actually really hot), let’s dive in!
7,000 feet below the ocean lay immense, strange vents of heat, which we can tap into. In these vents, the temperature hovers around 750 degrees Fahrenheit, which normally would cause everything thing around it to melt and boil, but due to the depths of the vents, the pressure doesn’t allow for this. What it does allow for is super-hot liquid to be extracted through well insulated piping. These pipes carry the hot liquid back to the surface to an oil platform. At the oil platform the heat energy is extracted from the fluid and turned into electricity us all to enjoy.
This method of producing energy does not emit any pollutants, but it does impact the flora and fauna located on the ocean floor around the vents. Theoretically, the flora and fauna could be relocated to safer vents, but this would be costly. Other concerns regarding hydrothermal vents include the fact that we don’t know what happens exactly when we close off a vent. Additionally, the entire process could prove to be quite costly. Working off shore and deep beneath the ocean is inherently expensive, but the amount of energy would could get in return from these vents is enough to power 20,000,000 homes. This process may or may not prove to be a problem solver, but it does give us some potential options going forward into a greener future, so stay tuned.
Have a great week!
Mark