Last November, a virtual corner experienced a shift toward sustainability that will bring about change Internet 100% renovable through a revolutionary, environmentally friendly operation initially developed in Nevada’s northern desert.
In search of success: innovative test will permanently change the internet
More and more companies are choosing sustainable ways to develop their activities. Now a major company, related to the world of Internet searches, created a before and after by choosing an ingenious way to ensure low pollutant emissions when its data centers are active.
In particular, this is the well-known company Google, which has created an innovative alternative to ensure that all its data centers operate exclusively with green energy 24 hours a day, providing a completely environmentally friendly system.
Although the Red Project is small in scale and produces between 2 and 3 megawatts of energy, enough to power a limited number of homes, it represents an essential demonstration of a new paradigm in geothermal energy. This approach could open the door to harnessing the Earth’s natural heat in different parts of the world.
Although the hot rock is widely distributed, with temperatures rising hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit in the first few miles of the surface, geothermal power plants make a limited contribution to global electricity supply.
This is largely because they are usually built in places where it is easy to take advantage of naturally heated water, such as hot springs and geysers. This procedure involves pumping hot water to the surface, generating steam which in turn drives the turbines. However, this would not be the method that Google used.
How was this new feat possible?
The Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) in Nevada works in a unique way. This, in contrast to the classics that pierce a natural hydrothermal system, Fervo chose to excavate completely dry rock and create an artificial hot spring by pumping waterthat returns to the surface at a significantly higher temperature.
This revolutionary approach could make Internet 100% renovable. This is thanks to a method using hydraulic fracturing techniques (fracking), common in the oil and gas industry. Fervo has drilled two wells, both over 2,000 meters deep and extending completely horizontally.
Continuing the process, the aforementioned company united them by hydraulic fracturing, causing fractures in the rock connecting both wells. The water, which initially enters cold through one of the wells, emerges from the other well at a temperature high enough to activate turbines and produce energy.
Fervo CEO Tim Latimer said success rates have remained relatively stable since the successful month-long experiment. During this period, temperatures at the bottom of the wells reached 375 degrees Fahrenheit (191 degrees Celsius) and enough water was displaced to generate approximately 3.5 megawatts of electricity.
These results suggest that the project is ready for long-term connection to the electricity grid. Additionally, Nevada wells’ proximity to a traditional geothermal power plant allows existing turbines and power lines to be used to supply electricity to the grid.
Google caused a revolution by committed to a 100% renewable internet
Google sees geothermal energy as a key solution to meet the challenge of ensuring a steady, clean supply for its data centers. Although the company has purchased enough renewable energy to cover its annual consumption, the variability in the availability of wind and solar energy poses challenges.
Finally Googling strives for a 24/7 clean energy supply by 2030, and geothermal energy is emerging as one of the top options to achieve this goal, said Michael Terrell, director of climate and energy at Google.