Google begins massive geothermal energy project for its data centers
Google has found a new source to power its data centers with clean energy from the Earth's core. The tech giant announced Tuesday that it has launched a geothermal project in Nevada in partnership with Fervo, a clean energy startup. The project uses heat from deep underground to generate electricity without burning fossil fuels or releasing carbon into the atmosphere. We remind you that in El Salvador there is a project for the production of Bitcoin with geothermal energy.
24/7 carbon-free energy
The geothermal project is part of Google's ambitious goal to run its data centers and campuses on carbon-free energy (CFE) 24/7 by 2030 to accelerate the decarbonization of the world's electricity systems . Google has been carbon neutral since 2007, but wants to go further and eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels. This is an enormous challenge, considering that Google consumes the same amount of energy in a year as a small country (18 terawatt hours), mainly for its data centers that use Google Cloud and artificial intelligence models
Geothermal energy is a reliable and flexible source of clean energy that can complement other renewable energies, such as solar and wind, and help the grid operate 24/7. Geothermal energy works by pumping cold water 2500 meters underground, transforming it into steam. The steam then spins a turbine, creating electricity that powers Google Cloud operations in Las Vegas and two data centers in Henderson and Reno.
Google's investment in Nevada's geothermal centers is key to its plan to eliminate carbon emissions in just six years. The company is also exploring other advanced clean electricity technologies, such as battery storage, green hydrogen and carbon capture. Google hopes to inspire other companies and governments to follow its example and adopt cleaner energy solutions.
Google's geothermal project is the world's first corporate deal to develop an enhanced geothermal energy project, which uses new techniques to harness heat from within the Earth's crust. Traditional geothermal technologies can only be economically implemented in areas where underground heat is easily accessible. Upgrading geothermal energy can harness the potential of geothermal energy in many regions where it is not easy to build other renewable energy sources, especially the Asia Pacific region.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, geothermal energy could provide up to 120 gigawatts of generating capacity in the United States by 2050 and generate more than 16% of U.S. generation. expected electricity demand. Geothermal energy is also a viable option to address the looming energy crisis, as the global oil supply is expected to be adequate only until 2050. Google is not willing to take this risk and is betting on geothermal energy to power its data centers and the world with clean energy.
Collaboration with Fervo Energy, geothermal specialist
The geothermal project in Nevada is the result of a wide range of technical and operational innovations from Google and Fervo Energy .
Unlike traditional geothermal energy, Fervo uses drilling techniques pioneered by the oil and gas industry to access heat that would previously have been difficult to reach. To harness this underground heat, Fervo drilled two horizontal wells and installed fiber optic cables to capture data showing the flow, temperature and performance of the geothermal system in real time.
This allows Fervo to optimize the production and efficiency of the geothermal plant, which uses less land than other clean energy sources and draws on expertise, knowledge and supply chains across multiple sectors.
Google supported the development of the project from its early stages to its successful completion, working closely with Fervo to overcome obstacles and demonstrate that this technology can work. Google also announced a partnership with Project InnerSpace, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the global development of geothermal energy, to accelerate the adoption of geothermal energy.
Google's objective is to use clean and convenient energy that is also economically available on a continuous basis, which is necessary for the activity of data processing centres.
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The article Google begins massive geothermal energy project for its data centers comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/google-inizia-un-massiccio-progetto-sullenergia-geotermica-per-i-suoi-data-center/ on Wed, 29 Nov 2023 21:23:54 +0000.