With reference to Resources Minister George Pullicino's action plan to focus attention on energy efficiency, with the intention to use wind mills as well as solar panels, a reliable and renewable source of environmental friendly energy seems to be ignored.
Geothermal energy has been produced commercially for some 70 years and is used in 46 countries worldwide. In France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Hungary, it is a relatively common practice.
The EU R&D project at Soultz-sous-Forêts, France, has recently connected its 1.5 MW geothermal energy plant to the electrical grid. Delft, Holland - the town of 17th century painter Jan Vermeer - is drilling a five-kilometre hole to provide its 100,000 people with geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy is a well-understood and simple system. It is provided by using the heat below the outer layer of the earth's crust and produced by drilling a bore-hole where thermal activity is occurring. Once thermal activity has been identified, cold water is pumped below the surface at "hot spots" where the earth's crust is thinner and hot (150°C to 200°C) and water coming out of the hole is turned into steam .
The steam is used to turn turbines and generate electricity. Hot spots are found all over the world. They are a very efficient and clean resource of energy. Usually the water is injected back into the ground to resupply the geothermal source.
Malta would be ideal as volcanic activity and geothermal hot water is found in Algeria and Tunisia.
Solar energy is not a reliable source - in contrast with geothermal energy - as it isn't available on a 24/7 basis. It is rather manpower intensive as cleaning and maintenance of the panels would be influenced by dust and salt. The same goes for wind energy. Geothermal energy is available round the clock all year round and is (almost) infinite.
By considering the continuous energy current of the geothermal energy, it is natural to classify it as a renewable energy source. The energy current is also responsible for the heat stored in the bedrock. If heat is removed from the rocks, the energy current will replace the heat removed.
In the volcanic and geothermal zones, where mass transportation is the main energy transportation process, the recharge is taking place on the same time frame as the utilisation process. When the utilisation at certain locations is less than the natural energy current at that place, the energy production will not affect the natural condition of the geothermal energy system. Such energy production will be sustainable for infinite time.
Geothermal energy creates less environmental pollution, is renewable and sustainable, avoids the importation of energy resources, adds to energy source diversity, creates less waste disposal and has a long lifespan. Last, but not least, after initial investment, it is almost free to run.
It would be worthwhile to consider a geothermal energy project for Malta.